Long-Term Care Convention Kicks Off in Lancaster

LANCASTER — The Pennsylvania Health Care Association (PHCA), the state’s premier skilled nursing, assisted living, personal care, post-acute care and rehabilitation association, will mark its 65th anniversary during its annual convention and trade show, which kicks off tomorrow at the Lancaster County Convention Center at the Marriott at Penn Square.

Nearly 700 attendees are registered for the three-day event, features 175 exhibitors and educational sessions on every aspect of long-term care, health-care, financing, elder law and more. The conference runs through Thursday and includes nearly 80 educational sessions — among the association’s largest ever — with more than 100 guest speakers.

“How we care and provide for our frailest residents and those in need of long-term care and rehabilitative support is among the most pressing social and fiscal challenges confronting our rapidly aging state,” said PHCA President and CEO W. Russell McDaid. “This conference brings together experts from across a variety of fields to share ideas and ensure caregivers have the highest level of training and best tools to provide quality care to those in need.”

Quality is a focus for many of the sessions, including programs on shared best practices and training for fall prevention, pain management, dining requirements and more. Pennsylvania’s long-term care facilities continue to surpass major quality milestones, ensuring the best possible care for residents and peace of mind for loved ones.

Updates on policies and procedures from regulatory agencies such as the state departments of Health and Human Services, along with the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), also will be offered.

Nursing home, assisted living residence and personal care home administrators can earn up to 16 continuing education units (CEU) during the convention, with exclusive tracks for each area of concentration.

Several sessions will focus on legal issues, especially for nursing homes, which have become the target out of out-of-state predatory lawyers who are filing frivolous lawsuits seeking huge cash payouts. The suits have nothing to do with quality and everything to do with the state’s lax tort laws for long-term care. Nursing homes lose an average of $4.96 per day defending against mostly out-of-state predatory trial lawyers.

PHCA also will honor its best caregivers, facilities and grassroots advocates during special ceremonies held over the course of the three days. The winners were nominated by their colleagues and chosen by an awards committee.

And, because it’s an election year, PHCA’s convention also will feature a panel discussion on presidential and Pennsylvania politics before the Nov. 8 General Election.

A full detail of the program is available here: http://bit.ly/2cKYvSK.

Pennsylvania has a robust long-term care network, as the demand for acute health-care services is growing. The state’s 700-plus nursing homes provide high-quality, compassionate care to more than 81,000 frail elderly and disabled residents who need around-the-clock support for clinically complex medical conditions.

More than 45,000 residents live in more than 1,200 assisted living or personal care homes across Pennsylvania. Among the residents, more than 88 percent are 60 or older, and nearly 10.5 percent of residents are living with some form of dementia, such as Alzheimer’s disease.

Additionally, while long-term care is still the primary focus, more and more facilities are treated residents who are short-term rehabilitation patients coming from hospitals and medical centers for transitional care or specialized treatment before returning home.