Exciting news for Arizona, Illinois, Washington, New Jersey, and Connecticut members! The highly anticipated HCAOA State Chapter Conferences are just around the corner, offering a prime opportunity to dive into the latest national trends and legislative updates directly impacting your state.

The Connecticut Appropriations Committee decided not to move forward with a home care provider registry.

The Connecticut General Assembly approved a new three-year agreement reached between the Connecticut Personal Care Assistant (PCA) Workforce Council and SEIU District 1199 New England.

Two significant and far-reaching bills affecting the home care industry have been filed by Senate and House majority leaders. As the first bills designated from each caucus, they are a high priority and are very likely to pass.

The Connecticut Department of Social Services (DSS) is actively conducting audits of Medicaid providers, including non-medical providers. Home care agencies are advised to conduct routine self-audits to ensure compliance and act quickly to respond to preliminary audit findings and penalties.

Jonah Francis, president and owner of Pansy Homecare Services, LLC. in West Hartford and vice chair of the HCAOA Connecticut Chapter, and Matthew Hallisey, managing principal of Matthew Hallisey Government Affairs, LLC in Glastonbury, and lobbyist and government relations consultant for the Chapter, were featured guests on Face CT this past weekend. WTIC-AM 1080 Morning Drive News Anchor and Integrated Content Manager Morgan Cunningham interviewed the Chapter representatives, who discussed home care for seniors aging in place, public policy related to home care the General Assembly is expected to consider in the session beginning February 7, the role of HCAOA in shaping policy, and the status of the transition of regulation and oversight of the home care industry from the Department of Consumer Protection to the Department of Public Health.

The Yale School of Medicine has been awarded $250,000 from the Humana Foundation to study mental health among primary caregivers for people living with dementia. The goals are to determine whether advance care planning positively impacts caregivers and patients and to develop tools to facilitate meaningful communication to make this happen.

Beginning in March, a new vendor is scheduled to start as the state’s new fiscal intermediary for operating payroll processing for self-directed personal care attendants and home care workers funded through the Department of Social Services. GT Independence of Michigan was awarded a three-year, $126 million contract to take over for Allied Community Services, a nonprofit based in Enfield.

This week, HCAOA teamed up with the Connecticut Association for Health Care at Home for an important discussion about the safety of home care workers following the recent murder of a home health nurse in a client’s home. Pamela Hunter, Ph.D., CSP, Senior Loss Control Consultant from Workers’ Compensation Trust provided information about workplace safety management and de-escalation training. Safety is such an important issue for all home care providers, so HCAOA is making this valuable session available to all members.

A must-attend webinar for every HCAOA Connecticut member on December 4 at 12:00 p.m. ET where Pamela Hunter, Ph.D., CSP, Senior Loss Consultant at WC Trust, will discuss Workplace Violence: Management Training & Safety Controls followed by Q&A. Gain insights into basic de-escalation techniques vital for diffusing potentially violent situations and ensuring caregiver safety.

​Register here.

Connecticut’s Office of Long Term Care Ombudsman announced recently that the community ombudsman program will officially begin taking referrals this winter to advocate on behalf of individuals who receive long-term services and support. The office is committed to “enhancing the quality of life and care for Connecticut citizens residing in various community settings [and] plays a crucial role in addressing concerns, advocating for improvements, and ensuring the rights and well-being of those it serves.”