Newsmakers Host Lisa Pugh will sat down with Patti Jo Becker, Community Living Alliance – Director of Operations, and Lynn Gall, WI Department of Health Services – Family Caregiver Support Programs Manager, to discuss workforce shortage and support for working caregivers. The Wisconsin workforce shortage is worsening in part due to a group of employees who are often overlooked: family caregivers. As baby boomers age out of their jobs and begin requiring care, it is often their grown children and spouses who are stepping in, balancing work and new responsibilities at home. A recent statewide survey shows more than eight in ten employed caregivers are reducing work hours or quitting work entirely. On this Newsmakers episode experts discuss survey results, tell us what employers are saying and share recommendations for improvement.

The National Council on Independent Living released its 2022 Advocacy Priorities Guide. This document contains specific information on the national legislative and policy priorities identified biannually by the NCIL membership, including funding for the Independent Living Program, healthcare and long-term care, housing, transportation, education, and more.

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Are you a person with a disability, ages 18 and up, working for an employer in the United States? If so, the Southwest ADA Center would like to hear from you. Many employers today offer programs and activities designed to improve the health and wellness of their employees. We would like to learn about the wellness programs that your employer offers and your experiences with them. Participant information will be kept anonymous. For more information or to participate in this survey please contact us at 832-708-869 or email: Megan.Gillespie@memorialhermann.org to schedule a brief interview via Zoom.

The Office of Disability Employment Policy in the Department of Labor has released a paper on the digital divide and disability. It discusses details in three main categories: employment outcomes, home internet subscriptions, and internet use. It entails data on each. Overall, people with disabilities use the Internet less than the average person. This could be due to many factors. 

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The coronavirus pandemic has created a mass-disabling event that experts liken to HIV, polio or World War II, with millions suffering the long-term effects of infection with the virus. Many have found their lives dramatically changed and are grappling with what it means to be disabled.

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The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) – through the U.S Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) – announced that states would have an additional year to use funding from the American Rescue Plan to both enhance and expand home- and community-based services. This is huge news as the federal government is committing to to further and prolonged support for Home-and-community-based services in general. 

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Since 2016, when Congress passed the CURES Act which included a provision that requires all Medicaid-funded Personal Care Services and Home Health Care Services to implement Electronic Visit Verification, states have been working on getting a system set up.  However, as more and more people are required to use it, several issues have arisen. Issues such as responsibilities shifting to workers, privacy concerns, tension between clients and workers have been some of the problems. A impact study in 2021 found that the system tends to reduce the quality and quantity of care by making caregivers spend care time logging their activity, and by preventing them from attending to time-sensitive needs.

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