The Washington State Chapter conference will be held Tuesday, May 24 from 8 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. and feature eight presentations on topics covering technology, advocacy, and employment, including:
 
Retention is Recruiting with Clayton Foutch, Home Matters Caregiving  
 
Clayton discusses best-known methods to address the labor shortage that our industry is facing with strategies to create an environment that promotes employee longevity. Improve the retention metrics in your organization with his tips.
 
Attendees will have the opportunity to network with colleagues, innovators, and vendors supporting the industry. Lunch is provided.
 
A discounted overnight rate $174 is available for conference attendees at the Hilton Seattle Airport & Conference Center. Click here to reserve by May 13 (date extended!).
 
Click here to download a printable conference flyer with full details.
 
Sponsored by   

The next NJ State Chapter meeting is slated for Wednesday, June 1 from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. in Edison. This expanded meeting will cover the latest news and updates for your state, including the post-pandemic changes in licensing.
 
The cost is $40 for members and $80 for non-members. Lunch included. Register here.

​Get the full details on this year’s conference in Orlando, FL, including:

• Schedule of events
• Keynotes
• Breakout Session speakers and topics
• Hotel details

 
New this year, a free pre-conference, PLUGGED IN: The Power of Advocacy, will be held Saturday, Sept. 17. Hear unique insights from national and state lobbyists about why Congress actually has a deep and abiding interest in the public policy issues on which many professional societies and their members are focused and why staying proactive rather than reactive, is crucial.
 
Check out the conference details online or download the brochure.

The IL Chapter will focus on the Chicago home care workers contract ordinance during the virtual meeting Tuesday, May 17 from 9:30-11 a.m.
 
The mandate protects home care workers by ensuring their employers provide a safe, fair, and equitable workplace. The contracts state the wage and work schedule for the employee and must be signed by both parties.
 
The meeting is free for members. Register now.

​Honor a caregiver from your agency for his or her dedication to caring for clients and their families with a nomination for a 2022 HCAOA Caregiver of the Year Award. Home care aides are the face of home care agencies, and their work is on the frontlines—in the homes of your clients. Recognize your workers for their compassion, commitment, and excellence in home care.
 
Stay tuned for an announcement when nominations are open. In the meantime, start thinking about who you will nominate from your agency! 

9Guest speaker Maggie Keen, VP of Strategic Initiatives, myCNAjobs.com, will be sharing insight into caregiver recruitment and retention during the Georgia Chapter Meeting May 19, from 7:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m., at the Georgian Terrace Hotel.
 
This meeting covers all aspects of running a home care agency, from workplace mandates to marketing a private business. Plus, you will hear federal and state legislative updates, and get news from your chapter chair, Eddie Grogan.
 
Here is a look at the agenda and speakers for the day, which also includes lunch, networking, and time to chat with meeting sponsors and vendors.

• News & Chapter Updates - Eddie Grogan, CareMaster Medical Services, Chapter Chair
• Federal Update & Policy Priorities - Vicki Hoak, HCAOA CEO
• Mandates in the Workplace - Ann Mellen and Burton Peebles, Polsinelli Law Firm
• Leveraging the Employee Retention Credit - alliantgroup
• Department of Community Health - Michelle Robinson, MHA, Director
• Caregiver Recruitment and Retention - Maggie Keen, VP, myCNAjobs.com
• State Legislative Advocacy Update - Rusty Paul, HCAOA GA Chapter Lobbyist and Dave Lamb, HCAOA GA Legislative Chair
• Best Practices Roundtable Discussion - Beth Dow, Kelley McDougall, Ken Stavas, Brad Culp
• Marketing Your Private Homecare Business - Gary Zermuehlen, Consultant, Coach/Trainer, Simon, Inc.

 
The cost for members is $75. Register now.

Meeting Sponsors:

President Biden declared May as Older Americans Month to underscore the administration's efforts in keep the older population safe and healthy.
 
He has added provisions in the American Rescue Plan for caregiver support, long-term care for older adults, and reforms to the safety and quality of nursing homes. Biden says he will make sure older Americans have resources to maintain independence. Read more.

​Hundreds of home care providers across North America shared their data, strategies, and best practices in running a home care agency for the 2022 HCAOA Benchmarking Report.
 
In 2021, the industry median annual revenue for a home care agency was $1,664,856.

For HCAOA member agencies the median annual revenue was $2,146,881. That’s an increase of 29%.

​If you’d like to see more HCAOA-member versus industry comparison data, download the 2022 HCAOA Benchmarking Report here at no cost.

Running a private home care company has never been more challenging - and demand is skyrocketing. It’s time to push through our pandemic fears and re-emerge with the confidence and a framework to get stronger, bigger, and better.
 
The second session in the Home Care Master Class series brings Andrea Cohen, Houseworks, and Adam Blecker, Seniors In Place, together to shed light on why "doing what is right" aligns teams, drives mission, grows revenue and improves margins.
 
Register for the June 9 session now.
 
Register for the full Home Care Master Class series for access to all three sessions, including the presentation from Jeff Wiberg of Family Resource Home Care where he talks about focusing on long-term business goals. Plus, you can join the live webinar on July 21 with Catherine Vergara of CareFor to learn the importance of creating a distinct culture within an agency.
 
Learn more about the series.

Happy employees work harder, are more productive, and become a cheerleader for your business (hello, free word-of-mouth advertising). Learn how to be a manager who helps employees thrive in the Entrepreneur Academy. The one-year, self-paced course teaches you how to be a leader people want to follow.
 
Learn more about the program here. When you are ready to register, email [email protected] to get the code for the discounted price of $999. You can start the program any time through September 30 and will have one year to complete from that date.

Littler Law Firm created a list of emerging issues U.S. businesses should consider as their employees return to the office after the pandemic. Public health experts, economists and policymakers increasingly speak of “endemicity,” a phase in which COVID-19 transmission rates fall to a constant but manageable baseline level, perhaps confined to certain regions, rather than actively accelerating, and spreading throughout the population in epidemic fashion. Some refer to this next phase as “living with COVID” or even consider it a “return to normal.”
 
In the employment law context, however, “living with COVID” does not represent a return to normal. Rather, developments since 2020 make clear that human resources professionals can expect—and are already encountering—numerous COVID-19 related challenges to their disability accommodation practices.
 
This insight reviews a top ten list of emerging issues in this area, broadly relating to increased claims for accommodation, administering the interactive process, and assessing the reasonableness of proposed accommodations. 
 
Read the list. 

On April 25, Gov. McMaster signed H.3126 into law, restricting a private employer from instituting a COVID-19 vaccine mandate for its employees. However, H.3126 includes an exception for employers who (1) have certain qualifying federal conflicts and (2) submit an affidavit attesting to those federal conflicts to the Department of Employment and Workforce (DEW). DEW has posted more information about the process here.
 
Who should submit an affidavit:
You should file an affidavit with DEW if you are subject to an executive order or federal rule that requires your employees to be vaccinated. Certain providers who accept payments from CMS fall under this category.
 
What is an affidavit?
At this time, DEW has not provided a standard affidavit form that must be completed. DEW has advised us that it is leaving the form of the affidavit up to individual employers. The only requirement is that it be in PDF format. It appears that they are seeking a simple attestation that a federal conflict (such as your CMS related work) prohibits you from complying with H.3126. HCAOA has developed a sample affidavit for members. Click here to download. 
 
How to submit your affidavit to DEW:
An employer should submit a PDF of their completed affidavit to [email protected]. Employers will receive a reply email confirming receipt. Affidavits are being handled by DEW’s Office of Governmental Affairs. For questions, contact E. Andrews Morgan at [email protected] or (839) 810-7679. Duncan Crotwell, Deputy Director of Governmental Affairs, can also be reached for questions at (803) 737-0398.
 
Nothing in this informational post constitutes legal advice nor should this post serve as a substitute for legal advice. If you are unsure about the consequences of H.3126 on your business, you should seek the counsel of an attorney licensed in South Carolina.

HCAOA has been working with legislators to support legislation that would provide tax incentives for home modifications so seniors and those with disabilities can more easily and safely continue living in their own homes.
 
U.S Representatives Charlie Crist (D-FL) and Thomas Suozzi (D-NY) introduced the Home Modification for Accessibility Act, legislation that would provide a lifetime $30,000 tax credit to cover the costs associated with aging-in-place modifications to homes. The act also creates new jobs for the U.S. economy.
 
The tax credit would be refundable and transferable so that even low-income seniors and those on a fixed budget would be able to take advantage of the credit immediately. The bill would lower Medicaid long-term care expenditures as more seniors can age in place and would decrease Medicare expenditures by reducing preventable injuries that occur in the home.
 
“This bill will help correct a fundamental injustice in American life. While we’re living longer and healthcare is increasingly conducted at home, the country’s housing stock is not meeting our daily and safety needs,” said Tenenbaum.
 
“Incentives outlined in this bill will encourage people to demand building and renovation designs that support aging in place with joy, dignity, and independence. Over time, these features will become the norm, benefiting individuals, families, the healthcare system, and our economy.”

Register for the May 11 meeting of the Arizona State Chapter Meeting to hear the latest federal legislative and advocacy priorities from HCAOA’s own CEO Vicki Hoak and VP, Government Relations Eric Reinarman. Other topics include patient advocacy, tax credits and how to balance private pay and Medicaid.
 
The meeting will be held 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. on May 11 at the Westin Phoenix Downtown Hotel.
 
The full agenda:
 

• The Role of Home Care in Patient Advocacy - Melissa Cardine, MSN, RN, BCPA, Patient Advocate, The Bridge RN Patient Advocates
• Labor Law Hot Topics - Josh Vaughn, Sarah Watt, and Andrea Lavelle, Littler 
• State Legislative & Advocacy Update - Bob Roth, HCAOA Board Member
• Leveraging the Employee Retention Tax Credit - Missy Waites, Director, alliantgroup
• Finding the Right Private Pay & Medicaid Mix - Andrea Cohen, House Works

 
Lunch will be provided and attendees will have the opportunity to network with colleagues and vendors. The registration fee is $40 for HCAOA members and $80 for non-members. Register here.

The full agenda for the HCAOA Annual Leadership Conference has not been released yet, but we are giving you a first look at hot topics within our four breakout sessions.
 
Jessica Nobles of Home Care Ops answers the question,“How do I make my agency stand out?”
 
Angelo Spinol of Polsinelli discusses the latest employment issues impacting your business.
 
Alon Brener of Sensi.Ai show you how to harness the latest technologies to enable growth.
 
Brandi Kurtyka of Mission Care Collective explains how culture can attract and retain caregivers.
 
The conference will be held the Hilton Orlando Hotel on September 18-19, with a special pre-conference on September 17 that provide the inside scoop on HCAOA’s advocacy activities, updates from national and state lobbyists, and access to an exclusive VIP reception before the main conference kicks off the following morning.
 
Register now for the conference and stay tuned for the full list of speakers and topics.