News
19TH NEWS: Most home care workers aren’t required to get the COVID vaccine, leaving the people they care for vulnerable
By SD Network, 2021-09-24
Last month, President Biden mandated that nursing home staff get the COVID vaccine or they risk losing their Medicaid or Medicare funding. However, it doesn't include home health care workers. Home care workers make up 53% of the workforce caring for people with disabilities and older adults. Advocacy groups and nonprofits are not currently asking the Biden Administration to require vaccines for these people though. The fear is that this would only add to the workforce shortage crisis.
ADMINISTRATION FOR COMMUNITY LIVING: Press Release: RAISE Family Caregiving Advisory Council delivers report; recommendations for improving support to family caregivers
By SD Network, 2021-09-24
Today the Recognize, Assist, Include, Support, & Engage (RAISE) Family Caregiving Advisory Council delivered its initial report to Congress. The culmination of a two-year, multi-faceted effort that gathered input from family caregivers across the country, the report provides an overview of many of the issues faced by family caregivers nationwide and provides recommendations for addressing them.
The 26 recommendations fall under five goals:
- Increasing Awareness of Family Caregivers to increase public understanding of the contributions caregivers make, including helping individuals self-identify as caregivers so that they can get the support they need.
- Engaging Family Caregivers as Partners in Healthcare and Long-Term Services and Supports to better integrate family caregivers into healthcare processes and systems.
- Improving Access to Services and Supports for Family Caregivers including counseling, respite care, peer support, training on common in-home medical tasks, and practical assistance like transportation. Also included is a recommendation for strengthening the paid caregiver workforce.
- Financial and Workplace Security for Family Caregivers to decrease the impact family caregiving can have on the financial well-being and professional lives of caregivers.
- Generating Research, Data, and Evidence-Informed Practices to help create policies and interventions that meaningfully help family caregivers.
The report also includes an inventory of federally funded efforts to support caregivers and interviews with 26 caregivers representing a range of caregiving situations and needs.
The recommendations from the report are the first step to developing a national strategy that will outline critical actions that can be taken at the federal and state levels and by local communities, philanthropic organizations, healthcare providers and providers of long-term services and supports, and others to better support family caregivers.
More than 53 million people provide a broad range of assistance to support the health, quality of life, and independence of someone close to them. Millions of older adults and people with disabilities would not be able to live in their communities without this essential support, and replacing that support with paid services would cost an estimated $470 billion each year.
While family caregiving is rewarding, it can be challenging, and when caregivers do not have the support they need, their health, well-being and quality of life often suffer. Their financial future can also be put at risk; lost income due to family caregiving is estimated at $522 billion each year. All of these challenges have been intensified during the pandemic.
“COVID-19 laid bare the need to address the urgent issues experienced by family caregivers,” said ACL Acting Administrator and Assistant Secretary for Aging Alison Barkoff. “The pandemic exacerbated the challenges of family caregiving. Balancing work, family and caretaking became even more difficult, and in many cases, caregivers had to completely leave the workforce. The pandemic has created a new urgency and momentum to address caregiving.”
The Recognize, Assist, Include, Support, & Engage (RAISE) Family Caregivers Act, (Public Law 115-119) directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to develop a national family caregiving strategy. To inform that work, the RAISE Act also directed the establishment of the Family Caregiving Advisory Council providing recommendations on effective models of both family caregiving and support to family caregivers, as well as improving coordination across federal government programs.
The Administration for Community Living is leading the implementation of the RAISE Act and facilitates the work of the RAISE Family Caregiving Advisory Council.
The John A. Hartford Foundation and the National Academy for State Health Policy also support the Council, including development of the initial report, by providing resources, technical assistance, and policy analysis. The National Alliance for Caregiving also supported development of the report, collecting and producing the interviews that bring the caregiver voice to the report. The interviews also can be seen in a series of videos.
2022 Circles of Life Conference
May 12-13, 2022
Holiday Inn, Stevens Point WI
The Circles of Life Conference is Wisconsin’s annual, statewide conference for families who have children of any age with disabilities and the professionals who support them.
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U.S. ACCESS BOARD: TRB Issues Report on the Feasibility of Wheelchair Securement Systems on Passenger Aircraft
By SD Network, 2021-09-16
In the Federal Aviation Administration Reauthorization Act, Congress called on the U.S. Access Board to examine the feasibility of wheelchair securement systems for passenger use in airplane cabins. In response, the Access Board commissioned the Transportation Research Board (TRB), of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, to conduct a study and issue a report. TRB organized a committee to conduct this assessment that included experts in aircraft interiors and safety engineering, accessibility, wheelchair design and crashworthiness, airline operations, and other disciplines. The committee’s findings are contained in the report "Technical Feasibility of a Wheelchair Securement Concept for Airline Travel: A Preliminary Assessment."
AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES: Apply Now for the 2022 Paul G. Hearne Emerging Leader Award!
By SD Network, 2021-09-16
The American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD) is pleased to announce the application for the 2022 Paul G. Hearne Emerging Leader Awards is now open! We are seeking to recognize emerging leaders or groups with disabilities who exemplify leadership, advocacy, and dedication to the broader cross-disability community. While the Paul G. Hearne Emerging Leader Awards have previously recognized only two individuals, we are expanding the eligibility status that groups of people working on an initiative can apply for the award. Everyone in the group applying for the award must identify as an emerging leader with a disability. Two (2) individuals or groups will each receive $7,500 to further a new or existing initiative that increases opportunities for people with disabilities and $2,500 in recognition of their outstanding contributions to the disability community.
We encourage applicants who self-identify as an emerging leader with a disability to apply, regardless of U.S. citizenship, incarceration status, or age. We especially encourage people who have experienced intersecting forms of discrimination and from historically excluded backgrounds, rural areas, and U.S. territories to apply. An applicant’s status as an emerging leader is not necessarily tied to age, education status, employment, or specific experience or involvement in the disability community.
Apply for the 2022 Paul G. Hearne Emerging Leader Award by Wednesday, October 27, 2021 at 5:00pm ET.
AAPD will host a Zoom webinar on Wednesday, October 13, 2021 from 4:00pm to 5:00pm ET for any interested applicants to review the information and answer any questions you have. ASL and CART will be provided. Register here for the webinar. If you have any additional access needs, please email programs@aapd.com.
FORBES: What Moves Some People With Disabilities To Be Disability Activists?
By SD Network, 2021-09-16
Most people with disabilities become advocates at some point. Often, it's not by choice, but whether by necessity trying to get what they need to live a successful life. Some people find that advocacy is their calling and turn it into a career. Others find it best to advocate for issues that pertain just to their situation. This article discusses the notion of disability activism in depth. It talks about the different things that go into activism.
US GOVERNMENT ACCOUNTABILITY OFFICE: Medicaid Home- and Community-Based Services: Evaluating COVID-19 Response Could Help CMS Prepare for Future Emergencies
By SD Network, 2021-09-16
The US Government Accountability Office recently released a report about how the CMS response to COVID could help in future emergencies. Things such as providing more home-delivered meals and giving providers hazard pay were some of the simple suggestions.
September 2021
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Don't Forget to Register!
Don't forget to register for this year's Self-Determination Conference. It will be held virtually October 18-20.You'll be able to learn from self-advocates who are living their best and most creative lives and get the latest information about how to self-direct your supports: inspiring employment, health solutions, housing options, financial opportunities, and so much more! See the Conference Brochure for details. If you register by September 30, you'll receive a great conference kit. Registration is FREE! Register today!
The Self-Determination Network includes some very talented members and we want to help you to get to know each other a little better. Member Spotlight is a great way for us to get to know each other better.
This month, we're shining the spotlight on Jordan. This recent high school graduate has found his love for advocacy, and he encourages people to get involved in any type of advocacy. He explains it's a good way to connect with people. Stop by this month's Member Spotlight to get to know Jordan.
Who should we shine the spotlight on next?
Check out the Latest Videos!
The Self-Determination Channel is a YouTube channel by and for people with developmental or intellectual disabilities. Unlike other channels, the Self-Determination Channel stands stand out from other channels on YouTube because self-advocates host the videos, and decide and create the content. Videos are posted a couple times a month on a variety of topics self-advocates care about such as technology, employment, caregivers, independent living, and advocacy.
Check out the newest videos on the channel:
We encourage you to subscribe to the Channel (you can do so by clicking the red Subscribe button on any of the video pages).
Take five minutes to check out what's happening on the Self-Determination Network:
- Hopes for SSI Overhaul: For the first time in year, there could be big changes to Supplemental Security Income. Find out what this could mean for the program.
- Input Needed: The National Quality Forum (NQF) is seeking input on 14 quality measures for home- and community-based services (HCBS). Comments can be submitted through September 17.
- CMS Vaccination Guidelines: The Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services released guidelines for vaccination education, access and reporting for the residents and staff of nursing facilities and intermediate care facilities for people with intellectual and development disabilities. Read about what the guidelines are.
- Take Survey: Each year, the Wisconsin Board for People with Developmental Disabilities (BPDD) does an annual survey for self-advocates and family members who have participated in a BPDD project. Help them out by taking the survey!
- New Resource: The Center for Disease Control and Prevention recently released a toolkit to help people with disabilities understand more about COVID. Check it out.
- Watch: The Applied Self-Direction website recently released a great short video explaining what self-direction is.
- Climate Resilience Efforts Pose Risks: People with disabilities often face more challenges with the effects of climate change. Read about how some advocates feel that people are new risks from mitigation efforts.
- Summer Internship Program: The Association of People with Disabilities is accepting applications for their Summer Internship Program. Applications are due October 20. Learn more and apply today!
- Workforce Shortage Still Widespread: The home health care workforce has more than doubled in the past 10 years, but it'll need to do that and more to keep up with demand in the next decade. Learn what will be needed to keep up.
- Annual Direct Care Workforce Data: Check out the annual data on the Direct Care Workforce.
Here's a sample of upcoming events listed on the Self-Determination Network:
- Webinar: ADA And COVID: September 22, 2p.m. to 3:30p.m., Online
- Webinar: Social Isolation And Loneliness Among Caregivers During The COVID-19 Pandemic: October 6, 11a.m. to 12p.m., Online
- Webinar: Plumbed Elements: Lavatories And Sinks, Washers And Dryers, And Saunas And Steam Rooms: October 7, 1:30p.m. to 3p.m., Online
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Self-Determination Conference: October 18-20, Online
- Baylor Conference 2021: October 28-29, 8a.m. to 4p.m., Online
Post your event on the Self-Determination Network and it can be included in future Network News emails to members! Questions? Suggestions? Contact Stacy Ellingen.
The Self-Determination Network is powered by InControl Wisconsin and supported financially by our members and Sponsors. We couldn't keep this Network going with you! Find out how you can help support the Network.
Every year, PHI releases new data on the direct care workforce, which in 2020 included 4.6 million workers, including 2.4 million home care workers, 675,000 residential care aides, 527,000 nursing assistants in nursing homes, and about 1 million direct care workers employed in other settings.
HOME HEALTH CARE NEWS: Home Care Workforce Still Facing Widespread Economic Instability
By SD Network, 2021-09-10
The home health care workforce has more than doubled in the past 10 years, but it'll need to do that and more to keep up with demand in the next decade. According to a new report, serious funding will be needed to keep up. This article does a great job of explaining the day different types of care workers. Wages continue to be a constant challenge, but there's hope because more attention is being given to home-and-community-based services.