Author: Tom Meyer

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

Northeast Leadership Summit – Boston, 2015

The Northeast Home Health Leadership Summit, now in its 13th year, is the premier gathering of home health agency leaders from throughout the northeast. This cutting-edge conference is attended by home care executives seeking to take their operation to the next level by gaining insights on the latest trends in home care and leadership.

This year’s theme is Turn on Your Leadership Light and includes a superb lineup of speakers joining us in Boston on January 20 to 22, 2015. Registration for the conference is now open.

This program is sponsored by the following state home care associations: Connecticut Association for Healthcare at Home; Home Care & Hospice Alliance of Maine; Home Care Alliance of Massachusetts; Home Care Association of New Hampshire; Home Care Association of New Jersey; Home Care Association of New York State; New York State Association of Health Care Providers; Rhode Island Partnership for Home Care; Vermont Assembly of Home Health Agencies. If your organization is a member of one of these associations, you are welcome to take advantage of the member discount.

The venue for this year is the Colonade Hotel in downtown Boston.

Return to www.thinkhomecare.org.

Six Days Until the New England Conference

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There’s just six days left to register for the New England Home Care Conference & Trade Show.

The NEHCC is the region’s biggest home care event, with hundreds of home care professionals attending, 20 workshops, three intensive programs, dozens of exhibitors, and six of the best keynote speakers in the industry.

The conference begins a week from today, and continues through May 30.  The venue this year is the Boston Park Plaza Hotel, located in downtown Boston, just a block from the historic Common.

Registration begins at just $275 for members for two days and is $345 for the full conference.  To attend, either register online or download, complete, and fax/email the brochure.

Highlights this year include:

  • Separate tracks for Home Health & Reform, Clinical Compliance, Management/HR, Finance & Technology, and Private Duty;
  • Keynote addresses from Karen Dillon, Jeannee Parker Martin, Richard Lopez, Michael Chernew, and Kathy Duckett;
  • Nearly 70 exhibitors including medical suppliers, software vendors, telephone services, and insurance providers.

Don’t forget to follow the conference’s tweet @NEHCCTS.  Besides having the latest updates on the conference — both before and during the conference, we’ll also be running contents through the account.

Return to www.thinkhomecare.org.

Chance to Win Two Sox Tickets At the N.E. Home Care Conference

Red SoxThe New England Home Care Conference is just around the corner — May 28-30 — and we’re pleased to offer our members a special promotion: register before May 9, 2014 and you’ll be entered to win one of two tickets to the Red Sox’s May 29 game against the Atlanta Braves.

The NEHCC is the biggest annual home care conference in the region, with hundreds of home care professionals attending, 20 workshops, three intensive programs, more than 70 exhibitors, and six of the best keynote speakers in the industry.

All this and a chance to spend an evening at Fenway Park?  Full details here.

Return to www.thinkhomecare.org.

Innovations & Star Award Nominations Open

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Once again, the Alliance is planning a special afternoon to honor and showcase the best people and programs in our industry today. This celebration of innovation and excellence will take place on April 29th at the historic John F. Kennedy Library.  Invitations to attend will be sent to a broad health care audience.

This event offers member agencies two opportunities to shine:

  1. Nominate a program, product, or operational change that has either a) enhanced the well-being of patients, clients, or the community, b) driven efficiency in operations or the health care system, or c) enhanced the productivity or satisfaction of agency staff.
  2. Nominate an employee or homecare supporter for a STAR Award. These awards celebrate the exceptional accomplishments of the everyday heroes in our midst who make incredible differences in the lives of their patients/clients and their families. Though there are too few opportunities to recognize all who deserve one, a STAR award brings with it some well-deserved recognition for both the agency and the individual.

Nominations may be made by Alliance agencies, their patients, or their partner organizations.  Download & complete the nomination form to let the world know about your best & brightest.  Nominations are due by March 7, 2014.

Return to www.thinkhomecare.org.

2014 Private Care Guides Are Here!

The Alliance is pleased to announce the publication of the 2014 edition of the Guide to Private Home Care Services, which will begin shipping next week.

The new edition... is three editions!
The new edition… is three editions!

New this year, the Guide has been split into three regional editions:

  • Boston & Northeastern Massachusetts (covering Essex, Middlesex, and Suffolks, as well as the city of Brookline);
  • South-of-Boston, Cape, and Islands (covering Norfolk, Bristol, Plymouth, Barnstable, Dukes, and Nantucket counties); and
  • Central & Western Massachusetts (covering Worcester, Franklin, Hampshire, and Berkshire counties);

The new system greatly streamlines the user experience, showing customers and families agencies who provide service where it’s needed without overwhelming them with information.  The county-by-county cross-references have also been revamped, and our popular “The Agency Advantage” essay (explaining the benefits of working with an agency instead of a direct hire) is now prominently featured on the rear cover.

Copies will begin shipping next week.  Additional copies will be available for order on our website shortly.

Return to www.thinkhomecare.org.

Your Care, Your Choice – Now In Spanish!

Earlier this year, the Alliance published two brochures regarding patient choice after a hospitalization or stay in other medical facilities.

We’re pleased to announce the publication of a Spanish translation of the patient-orientated version, “Your Care, Your Choice,” which reminds patients of their right to choose their own providers, and empowers them to report facilities that attempt to violate these rights.

Return to www.thinkhomecare.org.

More on ‘The Agency Advantage’

CG_logo_for_webCaregiver.com published an excellent article by Rona S. Bartelstone, LCSW, BCD, CMC, describing the advantages of working with a home care agency as opposed to the risks and responsibilities of direct-hire:

As the employer, the individual or family paying for the private home health aide would be held liable for any work-related injury that occurs on the job. This can include the cost of all medical expenses and any disability payments that might become applicable.

Since the home-care industry is noted for work-related injuries, this can be a huge risk, especially if the caregiving tasks include lifting, transferring or bathing. There are also risks related to communicable diseases if the aide does not abide by universal precautions that are required by all licensed agency personnel.

Furthermore, the employer retains any liability that arises out of an injury to the person being cared for or any other person on the premises. If the home health aide were to cause an accident, for example, in which other family members suffered any harm or losses, the employer would bear the full responsibility for all costs and compensation.

The article also contains case examples that illustrate these advantages in real-world situations. It makes an excellent, long-form companion to the Alliance’s 4 Reasons to Choose A Home Care Agency brochure, which is always available at no charge.

Return to www.thinkhomecare.org.

Guest Post: Making the MOLST of Your Life

By: Jeanne M. Ryan, MA, OTR, MBA, CHCE
Executive Director VNA & Hospice of Cooley Dickinson

According to the Massachusetts Expert Panel on End-of-Life Care:

“What people want and need as the end of life approaches are things that have mattered to them throughout life, often now more intensely then ever: that their wishes and values are respected, that their symptoms are well controlled; that their dignity is maintained; and that they can spend as much meaningful time as possible with those they most love”.

And while 70 percent of Americans say they wish to die at home, surrounded by family, in Massachusetts the reality is exactly reversed: More than 70 percent die in hospitals or nursing homes, often spending their last days or weeks attached to high-tech life support machines. The choices that patients and their families make about care at this stage of life are extremely personal, but can only be made well if the full range of options is presented, explored, and considered with each patient individually. Continue reading “Guest Post: Making the MOLST of Your Life”

Private Care Members Survey Open

survey_clipartIn order to help us identify needs and set our priorities for the coming year, the Alliance is asking its Private Care members to participate in our special Private Care Survey.  The survey asks 15 questions concerning priorities, benefits of membership, and the Private Care Guide.

The more input we have from our Private Care members, the better we can serve.  Please respond by October 23.

Return to www.thinkhomecare.org.

In Choosing A Healthcare Provider, It’s “Your Care, Your Choice”

Last week, the Alliance published its “Keeping It Legal” brochure to educate health care providers about lawful referral practices.

This week, we’re following up with a companion guide on the subject, designed for patients and families titled “Your Care, Your Choice,” which reminds patients of their right to choose their own providers, and empowers them to report facilities that attempt to violate these rights.

To download the brochure, click the down arrow button immediately above this text.  Please feel free to distribute it to everyone who can benefit from it.

Return to www.thinkhomecare.org.