Category: Home-Based Healthcare

What began as a Veterans Administration program at the end of World War II is now a long-term care model known as self-direction. Veterans who fought in WWII and came home with disabling injuries were given the option to hire their caregivers with their disability benefits. It wasn’t until the 1990s that this model was […]

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 […]

In July 2022, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced new quality measures for home- and community-based services (HCBS). The home health industry has been consistently regulated by high-quality standards, but the personal home care industry has typically not been governed by quality measures such as these. At Direct Care Innovations, we’d like […]

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 […]

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 […]

Direct Care Innovations‘ readers understand our passion for those living with disabilities and those who serve them. We’ve addressed the need for more and better-paid home healthcare workers, and we provide tools for organizations to manage the business and comply with regulations. Concerning direct care staff, Wisconsin’s ongoing shortage is so critical that the National […]

The In-Home Supportive Services (IHSS) Public Authority Board of Directors approved a new memorandum of understanding between the SEIU Local 2015 Union and Lake County, CA. The agreement adopts a well-deserved pay increase for home health workers effective January 1. Direct Care Innovations provides business management software for managed care organizations, and we support home […]

When it comes to accessibility, Google is ahead of the curve. The tech giant recently offered up additional changes to enhance smartphone accessibility, not to shy away from improvements. In fact, Google optimizes many of its features and products for accessibility and encourages those who interface with their platforms and products to do the same. […]

A 2022 cost-of-living adjustment will positively impact Social Security benefits for the disabled community. The increase, tied to the Consumer Price Index, is the highest since 1982 and the most significant in over ten years. Additionally, the infrastructure bill continues to make its way through the legislative process. In this post, Direct Care Innovations reviews […]

Those with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) sometimes face difficult choices. For instance, they can live in segregated settings, such as group homes, attend day programs, or aim for community living with home and community-based services (HCBS). However, the service system must evolve to offer self-directed, person-centered care for those with disabilities. At Direct Care […]