​"National Home Care Advocacy Day is one of the most important events of the year,” said Michael Coccaro, General Counsel, SYNERGY HomeCare, HCAOA Board Member. “It's the opportunity for HCAOA members to join together and meet with our respective Congressional leaders to help move our industry forward.”
 
The power of our collective group of home care providers visiting Washington, D.C. on March 29 will make an impact.

​“The landscape of Home Care is changing and that is why it is so important that we stand up, show up, and speak up about the challenges we face, the incredible outcomes that we deliver, and the positive impact that we make,” said Jessica Nobles, Co-founder, Home Care Ops. 

​Workforce challenges? Help is on the way during the final “Removing Roadblocks to Revenue” webinar tomorrow, February 23, from 2:00 – 3:00 p.m., EST. 

Having a positive impact on patient health and well-being far outweighed compensation when it came to caregiver satisfaction, according to results released last week by home care software provider HHAexchange.

Last week, a U.S. appeals court blocked a California law that prohibited employers from requiring their workers to resolve legal disputes in private arbitration, ruling that it conflicts with a federal arbitration statute. Signed into law in late 2019, the law, known as AB51, made it a criminal offense for employers to force employees to sign such arbitration agreements for claims they might make under state labor laws. 

Last week, HCAOA Board member and Founder and CEO of Trinity In Home Care Aaron Stapleton, was appointed to the OSHA SBREFA Panel on Prevention of Workplace Violence in Healthcare and Social Assistance. This group is working to develop a proposed standard to address workplace violence in the health care and social assistance industry.

As a home care provider whose operations might be affected by this rule, Stapleton was chosen to serve on the workgroup to review information and participate in a small group teleconference to discuss concerns and input. The Small Business Advocacy Review panel teleconferences will be open for the public to listen, but not participate in. Stapleton will participate in one of the conferences. 

According to OSHA, “Nonfatal workplace violence is more widespread in the Healthcare and Social Assistance sectors than in any other industry. In 2019, the rate of nonfatal workplace violence incidents that required the worker to take time off was nearly five times greater in privately operated healthcare and social assistance establishments than in private industry overall. ​For certain segments within these industries, the rate is much higher. While workplace violence also occurs in other industries, healthcare and social assistance services have a common set of risk factors related to the unique relationship between the care provider and the patient, client, or their visitors.”

​The HCAOA Virginia Chapter Conference on Wednesday, April 5, in Richmond, will feature updates and guidance on new home care regulations from Virginia Department of Health Office of Licensure and Certification’s Deputy Director Ruthanne Risser and Supervisor of the Home Care Unit Robyn Wandrick. 

More than 2,600 people sent messages requesting increased funding for home- and community-based services remain in the Elizabeth Dole Act remain via HCAOA’s Legislative Action Network. Though the provision was removed from the bill, home care providers can continue to advocate for the funding by contacting their legislators.
 
HCAOA CEO Vicki Hoak spoke with Home Health Care News’ Patrick Filbin about the removal of the provision in a recent article.

Recently, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer released a supplemental budget request alongside her FY 24-25 budget recommendation to include $268.8 million to expand Medicaid home- and community-based services.

The HCAOA Georgia Chapter Conference next Thursday, March 2, will focus on insider information  about navigating regulatory changes, influencing Medicare funding, growing your home care business with VA programs, and more.
 
Plan to attend the state conference from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., at the Georgia Freight Depot’s Blue Room in Atlanta. 

​HCAOA CEO Vicki Hoak spoke at the Home Care Pulse Growth Summit last week about how advocacy is the responsibility of each home care provider and why.
 
The nation is aging and there are growing demands on healthcare, in-home caregiving and assisted living. This societal aging can affect economic growth, patterns of work and retirement, the way families function, the ability of governments and communities to provide adequate resources for older adults, and the prevalence of chronic disease and disability, Hoak shared with attendees.
 
Due to an insufficient workforce and growing “silver tsunami,” all home care providers need to step up and become advocates for their clients and the in-home care services they provide. Hoak shared tips on advocating well, some upcoming bills worth advocating for, opportunities to join with other providers for advocacy—like National Home Care Advocacy Day and encouraged attendees to remember why we advocate.

The Beginning
Try to imagine a job as far from a regular 9-5 as you can. I’m sure some of you thought of soldiers or spies, but I bet at least one or two of you pictured a nurse. That was me. Hair up out of my face, scrubs on, working through another night shift with a dedicated team of health professionals and a smile on my face.
 
I had always known my path would lead me towards helping people, and I thought that in nursing I had found my true calling. So, how did I end up as a Clinical Development Manager at a tech company? 

The deadline for speaker proposals for THE conference for home care providers and professionals is coming up on Friday, March 10. The National Home Care Conference is a prestigious event focusing on the latest issues and future trends in home care with attendees. Breakout session speakers will discuss home care operations, data innovations, workforce, and industry trends at the two-day event happening October 23-24, 2023, in Chicago, Illinois. 

Registration is now open for the HCAOA West Virginia Chapter Conference on Tuesday, April 18, from 9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. The informative event will feature helpful information to help home care providers build their businesses, federal and stage regulatory and legislative updates, and more!

​Recently, U.S. Sen. Jerry Moran (R-KS), a ranking member of the Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, introduced the Reinforcing Enhanced Support through Promoting Equity for Caregivers Today (RESPECT) Act, S. 216. This legislation would create fair processes for evaluating and assessing veterans who need a caregiver and provide additional support to caregivers. 

Today, the Home Care Association of America, representing its member home care organizations, expressed its gratitude and respect for the 2.4 million home care professionals who enable older Americans and individuals with disabilities to remain in their own home and communities—living as independently as possible.