In May 2023, the Missouri legislature approved the FY24 budget, which included a line item of $2.2 million in enhanced funding for the State Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program. This funding was intended to hire around 25 new ombudsmen across the state, doubling the program’s capacity and bringing the program in line with national standards. Twelve…
Read MoreProject Holiday Cheer Returns for its Third Year!
It’s Back! VOYCE, Senior Services Plus, and Scott Credit Union are joining forces again to collect holiday cards for nursing home residents in St. Louis, Northeast Missouri, and Illinois. With your help, every long-term care resident will receive a holiday card. Better yet, each resident will know that the community wishes them well throughout the…
Read MoreHappy National Minority Mental Health Awareness Month
A Little Background In May of 2008, the US House of Representatives announced July as Bebe Moore Campbell National Minority Mental Health Awareness Month. Campbell was an author who pivoted her efforts to advocating for the mental health of minorities and eliminating the stigma associated with mental health in communities of color. In 2005, Campbell,…
Read MoreGovernor Parson Vetos Nursing Home Oversight Expansion Funding
When Governor Parson signed the Missouri State Budget on June 30, 2023, he line-item vetoed an increase that would have transformed the lives of nursing home residents throughout the state.
The Legislature budgeted a $2.2 million increase for the Long-Term Care Ombudsman
Read MoreReflecting on Life’s Changes and Constants During Elder Abuse Awareness Month
The only constant in life is death and aging. No, it isn’t death and taxes. Taxes can be avoided, delayed, or eliminated, but not aging. From the day we arrive on this planet until we leave it, we age. A new parent can tell you that their newborn baby changes daily. Adults change too. Yet…
Read MoreNational Nurses Month: Celebrating the Personal Call of Nursing
“A nurse is not what you do. It is what you are…I am a nurse. It’s not what I do, it’s what I am”- Unknown I have been a nurse for over forty years, and I love it! It is who I am even though I have many other titles, Mom, Wife, Mama, Professor, Friend,…
Read MoreMy Journey to Social Work
From a young age, I knew I wanted a career where I could help people. Like many young people who want to get into a helping profession, I thought I would pursue nursing. After some coursework and a job at a hospital, I realized that nursing was not my career path. I enjoyed working in…
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