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MCQC NEWS 4th Quarter 2020

VOTING: If you are over 65 and live in Missouri, you can vote absentee ballot. You do not need to have anything notarized. You can request an absentee ballot from your local election authority or you can vote in person at the office of the local election authority. Go to vote.org for more information on voting. The deadline to request a mail-in ballot must be received by 5:00 PM on Wednesday, October 21, 2020. If you mail in your completed ballot, it must be received by November 3, at 7:00 p.m. If you hand-deliver a ballot to your election office, you must do so by November 3 at 7:00 p.m. Please be sure that the ballot is completed and signed.

If you do not know where your election office is, you may contact the Missouri Secretary of State, by calling: 1-573-751-2301 or at www.sos.mo.gov. Please remember to vote. If voting by absentee ballot, please do so early.

October is Resident’s Rights Month. This year’s theme is “Connections Matters”. This emphasizes connections to family, friends, and the community as essential components of good health and quality of life for residents. It is important that we keep in contact with family and friends who are in a nursing home. Studies have shown that the more contact with them, the better they do. These past 7 months have been hard on nursing homes, as nursing homes have had to set some stiff regulations on visiting with family and friends. Most of the nursing homes have limited visitation to phone calls or standing outside the window to their room and waving at them and talking on the phone. There have been very few exceptions to the rules. Nursing Homes were doing as they were instructed to keep the residents and staff safe from Covid-19.

There are some changes to the visitation policy. The Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has issued new guidelines for visitations. Nursing homes may now allow visitations with your family member or friend. This could be in a designated room that is sanitized, or it may be in an outdoor area, such as a garden area. Those coming to visit will have their temperature taken and they will be asked about symptoms of Covid-19 that they may or may not have. They will be required to wear a mask, covering their mouth and nose at all times, when on the nursing home grounds and buildings. This is very much like what we go through to go to the doctor’s office. They will have to sanitize their hands using hand sanitizers. Their family member or friend will go through the same procedures. At no time will they be allowed to touch their family member or friend. There is to be no hugging.

Nursing homes will set the standards as to time and number of visitors. Therefore, visitors will need to contact the nursing home to schedule an appointment. Time with the family member or friend will be limited to a time frame set by the nursing home.

IT IS IMPORTANT BEFORE GOING TO THE NURSING HOME/LONG-TERM CARE FACILITY, THAT YOU CONTACT THE NURSING HOME/LONG-TERM CARE FACILITY TO FIND OUT WHAT IS THEIR CRITERIA FOR VISITS. THE NURSING HOME WILL SET THE CONDITIONS.

For more information on the CMS standards, you may check our website www.mcqc.com. The CMS standards are on there. You can also contact CMS, Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services at www.cms.gov.

If you are having difficulty with the nursing home, you can contact the Missouri State Ombudsman by calling 1-800-309-3282. You can email them at: LTCOmbudsman@health.mo.gov.

Remember it is important that you contact the nursing home before going to visit to find out what their policy is on visits.

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Krambeck Award

Leslie Jordon & Northwest Area Agency – 2013 Jordon-Krambeck Award

This year, the 2013 award, known as the Krambeck Award, was awarded to both a Missouri Individual and a Missouri organization. 

The individual honored for 2013 is Leslie Jordon, an MCQC founding member who passed away in December 2012 after a long and courageous battle with cancer. 

On Saturday October 26, 2013, the Missouri Coalition for Quality Care presented the 2013 Krambeck Award to Mrs. Leslie Jordon. Mrs. Jordon devoted her life to ensuring that the elderly received the quality care and respect that they deserve. Mrs. Jordon worked for the former Missouri Division of Aging and was a co-founder of the Missouri Coalition for Quality Care. She passed away in December of 2012 after a long battle with cancer.

Accepting the award were her two granddaughters: Annalee and Mia Rintoul. Presenting the award to them is Ms. JoAnne Morrow, MCQC Board member and close friend of Mrs Jordon. In the second photo with Mia and Annalee are Hank and Phyllis Krambeck for whom the award is named. 

On June 17, 2013, MCQC honored the Northwest Area Agency on Aging. This agency is a planning and service agency that is charged under the Older Americans Act with identifying and meeting the needs of older adults who are at least 60 years of age in the 18-county area in northwest Missouri. Its staff and volunteers seek to empower and provide older adults of Northwest Missouri the opportunity to live safe, healthy, independent lives in the home environment of their choice. 

The Northwest Area Agency on Aging is providing valuable assistance to a large rural section of Missouri where the needs of senior residents is great. Without the services of this agency, the quality of live for seniors would be diminished. Because the goals of MCQC are to improve the quality of care and quality of life experienced by not only nursing facility residents, but also in-home care and residential people, the Missouri Coalition for Quality Care President Dave Damico was pleased to present the Krambeck Award to the agency’s Board Chair, John Murphy, and its director, Becky Flaherty.

Marianne Ronin(MCQC), Dave Damico(MCQC), John Murphy(NWMOAAA) and Becky Flaherty(NWMOAAA)
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Krambeck Award

Jo Anne Morrow – 2010 Jordon-Krambeck Award

MCQC is happy to announce that the 2010 Krambeck Award has been awarded to Jo Anne Morrow.

Ms. Morrow has served many years working for the elderly and handicapped of Missouri. She serves as an attorney for the Missouri Department of Social Services working on eldercare issues. She was responsible for initiating legal action against deficient nursing homes in Missouri. She provided legal assistance to staff at DSS in dealing with problem nursing homes.

She has served on the MCQC in many capacities during her long tenure on the board. She has appeared on radio and television, appeared in court on cases, working on individual cases and other issues involving the elderly. Although she finds herself buried in work at Legal Aid of Eastern Missouri, she continues to serve as President of the MCQC Board. She truly goes beyond the call of duty.

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Krambeck Award

Dr. Susie awarded the 2009 Jordon-Krambeck Award

The 2009 Krambeck Award was presented to Dr. Lylia J. Poland, better known as Dr. Susie of Kirksville, MO. A banquet was held in her honor at the Thousand Hills Restaurant in Kirksville on Saturday April 24, 2010. It was standing room only as many of her friends and patients were there to honor her. She was presented many gifts in addition to the 2009 Krambeck Award. The “Sweet Nothings” a coed acappella group from Truman State University provided the entertainment.

Dr. Susie was selected for the award for her contributions to the elderly in her area. She had worked with MCQC on an issue involving an elderly woman whose children were abusing her. She gave freely of her time including testifying in court on behalf of the woman. This is typical of Dr. Susie. Her staff and her patients stated that she is always available to her patients, day and night. No one is turned away and she becomes more than a Doctor to her patients she is their friend. Her dedication to her patients is why MCQC selected her for the 2009 Krambeck Award.

In the photo, left to right: Joanne Morrow, MCQC President, Dr. Susie, Krambeck Award Recipient, and Phyllis Krambeck, MCQC Board