Category: Caregiver Needs
4 New Resources to Help State Medicaid and Partner Agencies
As family members who care for individuals with developmental or intellectual disabilities (I/DD) age, there is an increasing need to support aging caregivers. Family members may need to plan for their loved one’s future or access state Medicare or Medicaid services for themselves. In response to this concern, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services […]
4 Ways to Avoid Burnout and Manage Stress as a Caregiver
Supporting your physical and mental health as a caregiver is just as important as caring for family members living with disabilities or experiencing long-term illness. Sadly, burnout and stress are a reality for many caregivers, and at Direct Care Innovations, we understand the heavy burden that is often placed on your shoulders. Read through these […]
New Year’s Resolutions for Family & Direct Support Caregivers
Caring for others can exhaust both your time and energy. While it can be rewarding to make a difference in your client’s or family member’s lives, it can also be demanding on your schedule, mental stamina, and physical strength. At Direct Care Innovations, we want to encourage you to make some New Year’s Resolutions that […]
More Support Needed for Family Caregivers
In the fall of 2022, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (USDHHS) revealed its first collaborative and strategic national plan for providing family caregivers with various supports and resources. The 2022 National Strategy to Support Family Caregivers consists of several hundred action steps that can help relieve family caregivers of the extra burdens […]
Why Caregivers Are Decreasing but Home Care Clients Are Increasing
It’s no secret that the home health care industry is changing. One of those changes we’re seeing is the increase of home care clients and the simultaneous decrease of available caregivers. At Direct Care Innovations, we do our best to support the home health care industry by providing valuable management software solutions that will improve […]
Everything You Need to Know About Respite Care
Caring for a loved one who is ill or living with a disability at home is a 24/7 job. Consequently, caregivers need to create space to properly care for themselves. Otherwise, you risk burnout and exhaustion, which serve neither you nor your loved one. Direct Care Innovations wants you to know that help is available […]
5 Ways to Retain Direct Support Professionals
Without direct care providers/direct support professionals, the agencies Direct Care Innovations supports wouldn’t exist. Therefore, neither would we. When DSPs succeed, grow and climb the ladder in the Intellectual/Developmental Disability (IDD) world, their agencies do, too. For this reason, we take the opportunity to review the DSP staffing deficit and identify ways to help our […]
How Biden’s Budget Addresses HCBS Caregiver Concerns
The Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF) is a nonprofit foundation dedicated to national and global health policy and news. KFF recently hosted several focus groups consisting of both paid and nonpaid HCBS caregivers. HCBS caregiver concerns varied some; however, chief among the concerns was low wages. Can Biden’s American Jobs Plan help? In this post, Direct […]
Funding Keeps Those Living With Developmental Disabilities in the Home
Funding and home healthcare staffing shortages could combine to create an untenable situation for those living with developmental disabilities in the home. Many of those with disabilities have loved ones and family members who provide care, and they don’t want congregate care. That being said, many factors contribute to their ongoing needs and their loved […]
5 Strategies to Address Caregivers’ Emotional Needs
At Direct Care Innovations, our clients either employ direct caregivers or interface with organizations that do. We know the COVID-19 pandemic is especially hard on healthcare workers and direct care professionals in all 50 states. Leaders at these organizations are striving to address caregivers’ emotional needs and to provide extra support during this challenging time. […]