Official Site of The State of New Jersey

August 2024

Feeling Empowered? Use Your Voice

Long-term care residents have the right to self-determination and the pursuit of a full, enriching life — and the National Consumer Voice for Quality Long-Term Care wants to hear your tale.

To prepare for Residents' Rights Month, an annual commemoration in October, the Consumer Voice has invited residents across the country to let their creative flag fly and submit entries related to this year's theme, The Power of My Voice.

Questions to inspire:

• What makes you feel empowered?
• What interests, hobbies, or activities enrich your life?
• How do you use your voice to empower yourself and others?

Residents can use whichever medium enables them to best express themselves. Submissions may take the form of essays, poems, stories, songs, artworks, videos, or audio recordings.

Entries are due by Sept. 1. For more details, visit our website.

Fun Facts: Did you know that August is...

• The most common birth month among Americans? Thirty of the 31 days in the month rank in the 100 most frequent birthdays. (Aug. 3 was the only straggler.) It must be all that holiday cheer nine months earlier.
• National Civility Month? This celebration was started in 2014 to raise awareness about the importance of respect and consideration for others. The message has never seemed more relevant than today, when many of us could use a reminder that kindness costs nothing yet pays dividends.
• Boomers Making a Difference Month? Decades ago, Baby Boomers — people born between the end of World War II and the early 1960s — were dubbed the Me Generation and criticized as self-centered. Yet the reality is that they are generally civic-minded and volunteer at higher rates than prior generations.
  
  A recent AmeriCorps study reported that more than 22 million Baby Boomers give 2.2 billion hours of service to their communities each year. This month, we celebrate and encourage their contributions.

Quality Incentive Program Wins Out in Budget Showdown

Great news! Nursing homes that achieved performance goals related to retaining employees and maintaining safe staffing levels will share $50 million in bonuses during the fiscal year that began July 1.

Lobbyists for the industry had urged legislators to end the Quality Incentive Payment Program and redistribute the funds to all nursing homes. Advocates such as the LTCO and AARP successfully pushed back against the effort.

"I commend the state Legislature and Governor Murphy for preserving such an important initiative to reward nursing homes that put people before profits," said Laurie Facciarossa Brewer, New Jersey's Long-Term Care Ombudsman.