Author: Tom Meyer

Tom Meyer is the Alliance's Membership Coordinator and Webmaster. His email address is tmeyer@thinkhomecare.org.

David Rendell Wants You To Attend This Conference!

Frustrated by disengaged and unproductive employees?  Keynote speaker David Rendell will offer a unique take on the issue during his New England Home Care Conference & Trade Show keynote address “The Freak Factory: Making Employees Better by Helping Them Get Worse.”  Here’s a preview:

Research shows that most people are not committed to their jobs and the way we currently manage employees does more to harm than help, their performance. We think our employees are broken, treat them like they are broken, and then wonder why they don’t work. Instead of attacking people’s weaknesses, we need to find the strength that is hidden inside their apparently negative characteristics.

Rendell is a speaker, leadership professor, stand-up comedian and endurance athlete with more than 15 years of experience leading people and organizations. He is also the author of two books, The Four Factors of Effective Leadership and his latest, The Freak Factor: Discovering Uniqueness by Flaunting Weakness.

To learn more about Mr. Dendell — as well as the other speakers, presenters, programs, and exhibitors  at the conference — just download the brochure and register today.

And don’t forget that all Home Care Alliance of Massachusetts who register for the conference before April 13 will be entered to win one of two $50 chips to use as the casino!

Special Messages about & Promotions for the N.E. Home Care Conference

Thinking about attending the New England Home Care Conference & Trade Show from May 31-June 1?  Keynote speaker Arnie Cisneros is just one of the many great reasons and has a special message for attendees:

Mr. Cisneros, P.T., is president of Home Health Strategic Management and will give the conference’s closing address, “Beyond Business As Usual” on June 1, 2012.  As an added benefit to all New England agencies, Mr. Cisneros is offering a FREE webinar regarding Home Health proposals recently included in the sweeping 2012 Med Pac Report to Congress. Visit this GoToMeeting page to learn more and register.

To learn more about Mr. Cisneros — as well as the other speakers, presenters, programs, and exhibitors  at the conference — just download the brochure and register today.

And don’t forget that all Home Care Alliance of Massachusetts who register for the conference before April 13 will be entered to win one of two $50 chips to use as the casino!

Career Center Expands to Include All of New England

Last June, the Alliance launched its new Career Center to connect Massachusetts home care agencies with the professionals they need to expand and enhance their businesses.  This month, we’re pleased to announce that the Career Center is expanding into the rest of the region, and will include new partner associations from across New England.

As a successful career center requires traffic as much as quality, this expansion will benefit old users as much as new ones by increasing the Career Center’s profile and attracting new applicants.  The Alliance will be marketing the Career Center steadily over the next few months, as will the Home Care & Hospice Alliance of Maine, Home Care Association of New Hampshire, Rhode Island Partnership for Home Care, and Vermont Assembly of Home Health Agencies, who will be promoting the Career Center in their states.

The Alliance was also able extend the introductory $100 price for 30-day listings (a savings of 43%) for members who enter a coupon code through the beginning of April.  Members may also use a separate coupon to receive a 20% discount  on any Career Center purchase — including bulk packages — both during and after the introductory period.  For a full explanation of the changes and access to the members-only coupon codes visit the Career Center FAQ (log-in required).

If you haven’t already get started by creating a FREE Employer or Job Seeker profile and start posting your open positions or resumes (existing profiles on the Career Center will operate as before).  Packages of 5 and 10 jobs are available, as are 60 and 90-day listings, as well as a variety of extras to ensure maximum exposure for your listings.

Contact the HCA’s Tom Meyer at (617) 482-8830 or Annissa Couch at (866) 376-0949 x 6047 with questions, or just visit the Career Center.

Return to www.thinkhomecare.org.

New Congressional District Maps Available

Late last year, the state’s Special Joint Committee on Redistricting approved new congressional districts for Massachusetts’s federal delegation.  Due to loss of one seat following the 2010 census, the new lines are significantly altered; this November, members will likely find themselves and their agencies in different districts and/or with different incumbent* representatives.

In order to help sort through the confusion, the Alliance created the following series of interactive, zoomable maps for its members.  Simply browse and zoom through the maps — just as you would on any other Google Map — then click on your district to bring up information about its incumbent.

Again, these maps reflect districts going into this November’s election and do not reflect current Congressional districts or representatives.  The Alliance will post a new series of maps after the election to reflect the state’s actual delegation to the 113th U.S. Congress, as elected by its citizens.

Western & Central Massachusetts (1st & 2nd Districts)

(Rep. John Olver — who currently represents NW Massachusetts — will retire in 2013 and is not shown on this map; his district is being absorbed into its neighbors).

Northeastern Massachusetts (3rd, 5th, & 6th Districts)

(Despite the familiar incumbents, the new district lines are substantially changed).

Downtown Boston & Southeastern Massachusetts (4th, 7th, 8th, & 9th Districts)

(Rep. Barney Frank is retiring from Congress, so the 4th District will have no incumbent running in November; Rep. William Keating — whose district currently includes Quincy and the South Shore — is relocating to his home on Cape Cod, where he will run in the new 9th District).

Return www.thinkhomecare.org.

* Technically, none of the districts will have incumbents as they will all be “new.”  Regardless, all districts save the 4th are expected to have a current congressman on the ballot.

How Home Care Can Help Family Caregivers

In a moving piece at The Atlantic, Jonathan Rauch describes the enormous strain — both physical and psychological — he of being a family care giver:

In the early weeks, I was protective of his independence. He believed that confinement in a nursing home would kill him, and I understood that his autonomy was the thread by which his emotional health hung. But his motor control was not cooperating. By summer, he was having trouble getting out of bed. Many days, he relied on the maintenance man to dress him, or never managed to dress properly at all. On several occasions, I arrived in his apartment to find him lying on the floor, unable to get up. He was no longer able to manage his own mail or appointments. Often his slurred voice on the phone was barely intelligible. When I called, he would manage to pick up the phone but said only “I can’t hear you! I can’t hear you!” before hanging up. Continue reading “How Home Care Can Help Family Caregivers”

Introducing the New Alliance Career Center

We’re very excited to announce the launch of the new Alliance Career Center, catered specifically to employers and job seekers in Massachusetts’s home care community.

The Career Center replaces our old Job Board. The new module includes a vastly-improved interface for employers with the ability to “feature” your most important listings and to search resumes of job seekers. Job seekers also have the ability to post their resumes online and receive notification of new openings.

In short, it’s a full-function, pro-actively marketed Career Center that gives a much better value to employers and job seekers alike. Features include:

For Employers

  • Create a FREE Employer Profile
  • Reach a targeted audience of local home care professionals
  • Find the most qualified candidates
  • Take advantage of affordable pricing less than half the cost of other job websites
  • Manage applications through your website or the Alliance Career Center
 For Job Seekers

  • Create a FREE Job Seeker Profile
  • Access exclusive job opportunities from top employers
  • Find local and regional home care jobs
  • Get notified immediately of new openings
  • Quickly apply for open positions online
  • Post your resume anonymously

Job listings are competitively priced and begin at just $175 for a 30 day job.  Employers may further reduce their costs by purchasing packages of five or ten jobs, or by becoming members of the Alliance.  Posting your resume is completely free of charge.

To get started…

Create a FREE Employer or Job Seeker profile and start posting your resume and open positions today!

Return to www.thinkhomecare.org.

Disaster Prep – Is Your Agency Ready?

Home care agencies have unique responsibilities to their clients during disasters, epidemics, and terrorist attack.

But they also have unique resources. The simplest way to prepare for a disaster is to speak to your clients about the matter and to encourage them to take precautions and make plans.  A great starting point is the new Disaster Preparedness: For Seniors By Seniorsbrochure from the American Red Cross.  This handsome, 13-page brochure covers all the basics — with special attention to seniors including:

  • Building a disaster kit (including medications);
  • Planning an escape route;
  • Staying informed after a disaster takes place; and
  • Knowing what resources are available;

Best of all, the Massachusetts Dept. of Public Health is making copies available free of charge.  Just download the order form, send it in, and they’ll send you up to 500 copies.
Even more importantly, disaster preparedness is vitally important — literally — for home care agencies. That’s why the Alliance partnered with DPH to develop the the Home Health Care Emergency Preparedness Handbook. The Handbookpresents Alliance best practices for preparing for natural disasters, epidemics, and terrorism. Contents include:

  • Standards of Care;
  • Infection Control;
  • Patient Tracking Controls;
  • Emergency Communication Resources;
  • Home Health Care Emergency Planning Resources;
  • Emergency Planning Training Resources;
  • Volunteer Opportunities

The Handbook also contains extensive appendixes on:

  • Hazard Vulnerability Analysis
  • Biological Weapons Agents
  • Emergency Policies & Procedures
  • CMS Altered Standards of Care

The Handbook comes in a three-ring binder and is available to Alliance Members for $25/copy, or $100 for five copies.

Return to www.thinkhomecare.org.

HCA Welcomes New Member: Nurses-At-Home

The Alliance is pleased to welcome its newest member, Nurses-At-Home, a private care agency in Wobrun, Massachusetts.

Return to www.thinkhomecare.org.

HCA Welcomes New Member: Happier In My Home, Inc.

The Alliance is pleased to welcome its newest member, Happier In My Home, Inc., a private care agency in North Dighton, Massachusetts.

Return to www.thinkhomecare.org.

HCA Welcomes New Member: A Caring Touch Corp.

The Alliance is pleased to welcome its newest member, A Caring Touch Corp., a private care agency in Newton, Massachusetts.

Return to www.thinkhomecare.org.