The National Citizens’ Coalition for Nursing Home Reform (NCCNHR) has changed its name, reorganized, and expanded its national advocacy priorities.

NCCNHR is now The National Consumer Voice for Quality Long-Term Care — a modification of its tagline — or the “Consumer Voice” for short.

The Consumer Voice has broadened its federal advocacy efforts to include addressing policy issues regarding at-home care and assisted living. The organization has been a force for improving the standard of care in nursing homes since its inception in 1975 as the National Citizens’ Coalition for Nursing Home Reform.

Among the ways that the Consumer Voice says it will carry out its revised mission — to represent the consumer voice at the national level as an advocate for quality long-term care, services, and supports — is to “promote the critical role of direct-care workers and best practices in quality-care delivery.”

The Critical Role of the Direct-Care Workforce

Recognizing the value of direct-care workers to the care team and how these workers impact quality of care is not new to the organization.

“No matter what laws and regulations are in place, no matter who or where the care is provided — the experience of the consumer is determined by his or her interactions with the direct-care worker,” said Consumer Voice Executive Director Sarah F. Wells.

“I am confident that consumers and workers partnering together can advance quality in all care settings,” she continued. “This is an exciting time for The National Consumer Voice for Quality Long-Term Care and the people we represent.”

New Policy Agenda

The organization’s new policy agenda includes:

• the reauthorization of the Older Americans Act;
• implementation of long-term care provisions in the health care reform law, including nursing-home transparency, elder justice, and criminal background checks on workers;
• development of policy on non-nursing-home settings, including assisted living;
• promoting a high-quality and effective long-term care workforce;
• strengthening oversight and enforcement; and
• promoting long-term care quality initiatives.

The Consumer Voice’s expansion of priorities was the outcome of a seven-month strategic planning process (pdf) that was funded by The Atlantic Philanthropies and announced on June 14. The process brought together consumers, members, past and current leaders, donors, grant makers, long-term care experts, staff, and other stakeholders.

– by Deane Beebe