Earlier this month the state government announced a $1.5 billion budget gap. Governor Christine Gregoire has called for a Special Session of the Legislature that will begin on November 28, shortly after the November 17 Revenue Forecast.

The purpose of this session will be to develop a supplemental budget for the 2011-13 biennium. Since early this year, Governor Gregoire has pushed to identify options for achieving a 10% reduction in spending. Now DSHS Secretary Susan Dreyfus has made a corresponding public proposal, with program changes constituting a reduction of $573 million.

The potential adverse effects to long-term care in Washington are as follows:

• A total of 17,000 people will be affected
• A caseload reduction of 2,700 in assisted living
• Elimination of 1,000 client slots in boarding homes with ARC and EARC contracts
• Adult family home client load reduced by 1,000
• The number of patients served in SNFs reduced by 500
• The remaining number of beneficiaries would be removed from in-home services’ programs

In response to this, WHCA has put together a poweful e-adovacy tool to help us as care providers make our voices heard at the state and national levels. This email advocacy service is hosted online at their website and completely FREE for members and non-members.

Download more information and detailed instructions on how to use this new service.

It is critical for us to participate actively in this grassroots movement TOGETHER. Fragmented and divided, our cause is weakened. United in our efforts, we have much greater power to shape policy 

Contact Cascade Park Communities for more information on the advocacy process.

LET’S WORK TOGETHER TO PROTECT OUR SENIORS AND OTHERS WHO NEED LONG-TERM CARE!

October is just around the corner. Each season brings something new, and this October will bring major changes to consumers of assisted living in the state of Minnesota.

Next month people who choose assisted living in Minnesota will be required to go through a “mandatory consultation” giving them a list of alternative options. Consumers will then receive a verification code that senior living providers must collect prior to signing a lease.

It’s hard to precisely pinpoint the reasoning for this new law. Some argue that more information is always better, which in many cases can be true. However, there are others who feel that this is a heavy-handed move by the government to further involve themselves in what seems to be an increasingly regulated aspect of health-care.

Advocates of assisted living consistently point to the high value in saving state and federal governments money by providing a way to reduce the extremely high costs of hospitalization and nursing homes.

But its impact of state and federal budgets is also what lawmakers and officials at the Department of Human Services cite as the rationale for why necessary counseling. And, this underlies a growing belief in state governments that assisted living is an increasingly expensive option of care.

Perhaps more worrying is that the bill was enacted by legislators in Minnesota with virtually no public debate. Stakeholders object that they never saw it as a bill, amendment, or budget item. It just seemed to appear out of nowhere.

What are your thoughts?

Do you believe that Minnesota’s new rule is a positive or negative for consumers and prospects of assisted living?

How would you feel if Washington State passed a similar mandatory consultation?

Are you worried about the relative lack of transparency in the government’s adoption of this measure?

Share with us over at our Facebook Page!

Planning for Hope is a one-hour documentary capturing passionate researchers in the field today who are exploring early diagnoses for Frontotemporal Dementia (FTD.) FTD is caused by degeneration of the frontal lobe of the brain, possibly extending back to the temporal lobe. It is the second most common form of early-onset dementia, after Alzheimer’s disease.

FTD has often been misdiagnosed along with other neurodegenerative diseases that cause dementia in young people in their 40s. This video increases awareness by presenting impactful personal stories alongside scientific research.

The full legnth documentary can be found at http://vimeo.com/26735336. Check out the 60-second promo below.

For more resources and dementia at Cascade Park, see our dedicated memory care services.

Cascade Park Vista recently participated in a local charity golf tournament. Tom Speer had the opportunity to become an “adopted father figure” to 10 championship golf pros.

Our Marketing Director Peter Adams helped out Tom with transportation, taking them from hole to hole on a golf cart. Local businesses such as Titus Will sponsored the event. A silent auction was also held, raising more money for charity. Attendees silently bid on a variety of sports, including a Wayne Gretsky jersey which put $850 towards pancreatic cancer research.

Tom and Peter rooted for the pros, which included Washington State golfers Ryan Moore and Andres Gonzales.

Just a sign that sometimes dreams do come true.

Check out our photos from the event on Facebook!

This past month we celebrated Cascade Park Gardens Sweet 16! Residents, staff, and community visitors joined together at the Union Avenue facility for cake, Ben & Jerry’s ice cream, and merriment.

Cascade Park Gardens is a powerfully positive force in the community, serving the needs of those with Alzheimer’s and related dementias. We are proud to be among the top providers for specialized and secure memory care in not only Tacoma but also Pierce County and the greater Puget Sound region.

The 16-year track record of Cascade Park Gardens?

• Approx. 650 residents since we’ve opened our doors in 1995
• 2001 Goodwill Industries Small Employer of the Year
• 2004 Pierce Transit Trailblazer Award
• 11-time sponsor of the Alzheimer’s Association Walk to End Alzheimers
• 4-time sponsor of Tacoma Senior Citizens Awareness Day
• 10-time sponsor of the Pierce County Alzheimers Caregiver Conference

More than any of this, we’ve provided a warm, caring, and safe environment that our residents have truly been able to call home.

LEARN MORE ABOUT CASCADE PARK GARDENS!