Fall 2017

2 HCAOA The Voice EXECUTIVE CORNER Looking Forward to Seeing You in Austin! AS OF THIS WRITING, WE ARE ONLY AMONTHAWAY from the HCAOA Annual Leadership Conference scheduled on October 8-11 in Austin, TX. Little did we know that the theme for this year’s conference— Big Challenges, Bigger Opportunities —would take on a much larger meaning considering the events that have recently transpired in both Texas and Florida. Our thoughts and prayers go out to all those impacted by these storms. In an effort to help hurricane relief efforts, please consider a donation to support those efforts. Considering that HCAOA is scheduled to have the 2017 Annual Leadership Conference in Austin, Texas, we are working on a plan to set up a donation center on site at the conference for attendees to donate needed items to those impacted by the storms. Furthermore, we are exploring potential volunteer opportunities for those attendees who may be interested in donating their time to any local relief efforts while in Austin for the conference. Finally, we are reaching out to HCAOA members in communities impacted by the storms to determine any specific needs, such as assistance in client relocation efforts or any other home care service needs. If you are in proximity to these regions and are available to offer any assistance, please email info@ hcaoa.org and we will connect you with members that may be in need. Since our last edition of The Voice , HCAOA has been active in a number of advocacy efforts on the state and federal level. Early last month, HCAOA sent a letter to Department of Labor (DOL) Secretary Alexander Acosta urging him to promulgate a rule to revisit the companion care exemption under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). As you know, the current regulation is negatively impacting access to essential home care services for seniors and individuals with disabilities. The letter detailed how specifically the companion care exemption rule has diminished access to live-in home care services due to the dramatic increase in cost. We offered our assistance to the Secretary and his staff in the Wage and Hour Division to author appropriate regulations that will again honor the intent of Congress to protect the ability of senior and individuals with disabilities to function at their highest level and remain in their home for as long as they can. We believe this goal can be achieved while honoring the hard work of home care workers and family caregivers and urged the agency to consider further rulemaking to bring it in line with what Congress had intended. Furthermore, HCAOA has been active in a number of states, in particular California and Illinois. We highlight our involvement in those states including some recent legislative victories. Highlighted in this issue of The Voice is our feature article focusing on the upcoming HCAOA Annual Leadership Conference that is scheduled in Austin, TX. Our must attend event for the home care industry, we encourage home care providers to attend this year’s big event. Conference participants will have the opportunity to learn about the latest home care innovations, business strategies, as well as best practices. This year’s attendees will once again have the opportunity to participate in a broad range of breakout sessions during the conference, and learn from the industry experts in plenary sessions. During the conference, we take time to recognize leaders in the home care industry at the HCAOA annual business meeting held in conjunction with the conference. I would like to congratulate the winner of the Sheila McMackin Leadership Award, Aaron Marcum, from Home Care Pulse and the Allen Hager Legislative Advocacy Award winner, Julie Ferguson, from Advanced Health Care. In addition, HCAOA will announce the winner of the 2017 Caregiver of the Year Award during the meeting. Please join us in Austin to share in the recognition of these awardees! In our Member News section, we feature an article focusing on how home care providers serve the LGBTQ community laying out key elements that providers should consider in serving this aging population. We encourage you read the article on the results of the 2017 HCAOA Membership Satisfaction Survey. In our continuous effort to measure how HCAOA is serving you, the survey results provide some terrific feedback on how HCAOA is serving member needs. Thanks to all who responded and took the time to complete the survey. Rounding out the issue in our Public Policy section is an article detailing the issue of tax reform at the federal level, and how the HCAOA-endorsed Credit of Caring Act legislation could be considered in an overall tax reform package. Looking forward to seeing you in Austin! Phil Bongiorno Executive Director