Fall 2018

3 Fall 2018 EXECUTIVE CORNER Amplifying the Voice of Home Care WE ARE JUST DAYS AWAY from the 2018 Annual Leadership Conference and HCAOA is excited to be hosting the conference in our “hometown” of Washington, DC. With the theme—The Voice of Home Care for American Families: Advocating for Our Seniors, this meeting places special emphasis on advocacy, as we have incor- porated visits to Capitol Hill as part of the Congressional Lobby Day included in the conference schedule. A few years ago, with a renewed focus on advocacy on behalf of the home industry, the HCAOA Board of Directors made a decision to move the HCAOA headquarters to Washington, DC. Soon after, the Board took the step to make Washington, DC the destination city for our annual leadership conference every third year for our East coast rotation, to reinforce our commitment to advocacy. This year the conference will focus on the importance of being an advocate on behalf of the senior community, as well as their families. Attendees will receive instruction on how to improve their advocacy skills at both the state and federal levels and put those tactics into use during the Annual Leader- ship Conference Congressional Lobby Day. 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, Gale Bohling, from BrightSpring Health Services and the Allen Hager Legislative Advocacy Award winner, Krystal Wilkinson, from Adultcare Assistance Homecare. In addition, HCAOA will announce the winner of the 2018 Caregiver of the Year Award during the meeting. Please join us in Washington, DC to share in the recognition of these awardees! Of note, HCAOA is now a recognized continuing education provider for Certified Senior Advisors. Attendees of the HCAOA Annual Leadership Conference will receive three (3) continuing education credits for their participation in the event. In our last issue of The Voice, we reported on a meeting of the HCAOA Board of Directors and Strategy Committee to discuss an outline for a new three-year strategic plan covering 2019 through 2021. As an update, the HCAOA Board of Directors plans to consider a final strategic framework for approval to be announced at the upcoming Annual Leadership Confer- ence. Once the framework is approved, HCAOA staff will begin to develop an operational plan and budget that expands across the 2019–2021 time horizon. The preliminary strategic framework will focus on the following goals: • VALUE – Aligning our programs, products and services with member and market needs • GROWTH – Expanding HCAOA’s reach to amplify our voice and activate our community • IMPACT – Advancing our brand and influence to transform the home care movement In This Issue Highlighted in this issue of The Voice is a feature article recognizing Fall Prevention Awareness Week. While most older adults prefer to maintain their independence by remaining in their homes, unfortunately, falls are the leading cause of injury deaths, unintentional injuries, and hospital admissions for trauma, posing a serious threat to a senior’s independence. This article recognizes Fall Prevention Awareness Week, scheduled for September 22–28 and dedicated to raising awareness about the seriousness of falls. The article provides details from the Fall Prevention Center of Excellence on practical ways to reduce fall risk. HCAOA Faces of Caregiving Campaign Also, in this issue, I would like to call your attention to our Faces of Caregiving campaign. Last Fall, HCAOA launched the inaugural Faces of Caregiving cam- paign—a storytelling project focused on showing the incredible work professional caregivers do every day: their dedication, compassion, and the extraordinary value they bring to the jobs they fill and families they serve. Once again, we will feature the profiles of exemplary caregivers from HCAOA member companies around the US. Please submit the name of an excep- tional caregiver. Note that individuals who have nominated a caregiver for the HCAOA Caregiver of the Year Award were given the option of having their nominee featured in the HCAOA Faces of Caregiv- ing campaign as well.