By Patricia Cullen on 1/7/2010 10:03 AM

Like many of you who have been tracking the budget stories in the media, I flipped the calendar page over to 2010 with a sense of dread. We have known for a long time that this day would be coming—that the state budget would reach this point of structural instability, and that the low hanging fruit we used in the past as budget balancing band aids would all be gone.

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By Patricia Cullen on 12/16/2009 9:16 AM

Since many of you will be taking time off of work at some point during the last two weeks of the year, I thought I would write my final blog posting for 2009 a bit early. 

We have a tradition at the Association of holding a staff retreat in mid-December to look back at the past year’s successes and lessons; and to look ahead just a bit at the new round of challenges. In doing the preparation work for the staff retreat, I  realized some of these reflections should be shared with the membership. 

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By Patricia Cullen on 11/24/2009 12:05 PM

There was tension during the months of October and early November caused by an upcoming expose on deaths of old people when they fell in nursing homes - the last thing we need during a time of great budget strain and a rather bleak financial future. But, the numbers looked “interesting” and the need for a story arose from a collection of data from death certificates.

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By Patricia Cullen on 10/12/2009 2:10 PM

After spending a few days with my peers from around the country at the American Health Care Association/National Center for Assisted Living (AHCA/NCAL) convention, and after getting updated on challenges with both the Medicare and Medicaid program in a variety of depressing ways, the focus on financing reform has never seemed as important as it is today. 

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By Patricia Cullen on 9/28/2009 2:11 PM

As we await the October release of an investigative story on falls in nursing facilities, which we believe will have a sensational-and not too positive-tone, I think about the last few stories I read in “major” newspapers about older adult services.

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By Patricia Cullen on 9/8/2009 1:13 PM

There have been a few polls hitting the press during the past week - some more scientific than others, of course. At the State Fair, both the state House of Representatives and Senate encouraged passersby in the Education Building to put down their food on a stick and take a written poll with official looking ballots and even a ballot machine. 

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By Patricia Cullen on 9/2/2009 8:32 AM

With the dust just settling from the 2009 Assisted Living & Senior Housing Summit, I wanted to share a few reflections about the content, attendee responses, and “carry-forwards.”

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By Patricia Cullen on 8/10/2009 10:11 AM

Usually the information contained in a blog is less objective than a news story (allows me some room for editorial opinions!).  However, I am diverting a bit from my own blog etiquette with this particular message - which is to encourage the meeker, shyer member to step out of the “someone else will do this” mode and take an easy step forward into the advocacy world. 

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By Patricia Cullen on 7/21/2009 3:13 PM

Staff at the Association have been spending many hours in recent weeks trying to herd the cats that have suddenly appeared under the banner of managing increasing expenditures for home and community-based services.

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By Patricia Cullen on 7/6/2009 3:14 PM

Once we reach the July 4th holiday, it seems like we move from summer vacation planning to back-to-school and legislative session planning in a nanosecond. 

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