Being a caregiver for a family member struggling with a mental illness or living with a life-threatening condition can be difficult, exhausting, and frustrating. You may spend hours of the day and night sitting by their bedside, taking them to doctor’s appointments, picking up medical supplies or prescriptions, cooking meals, and participating in several other […]

More than seven million Americans receive supplemental security income (SSI) from the Social Security Administration (SSA). This valuable benefit helps many individuals, including those living with intellectual or developmental disabilities (I/DDs), pay for living expenses such as utilities, groceries, and rent. The agency is proposing an update to its current SSI calculations that would result […]

A recent report from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) discovered that nearly 9% of U.S. children were diagnosed with a developmental disability in 2021 compared to 7.5% in 2019. Other findings included the prevalence of developmental disabilities among boys compared to girls and how some populations now receive accurate diagnoses sooner […]

Direct support professionals (DSPs) are key to providing qualified and compassionate care for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Recruiting and retaining DSPs is often challenging and frustrating. Direct Care Innovations works with caregiving agencies, and we understand the struggle of hiring and retaining hard-working and dedicated employees. With research-based strategies, your organization can address […]

Each September, agencies nationwide honor and celebrate direct support professionals (DSPs) during DSP Recognition Week, September 10 – 16. Many individuals working as DSPs are the heart and soul of caregiving agencies. Without them, organizations that serve individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD) could not function. This is why Direct Care Innovations encourages you […]

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 […]

The U.S. Department of Education plans to make forthcoming improvements and changes to regulations that govern Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. If your clients have students who receive 504 benefits and services, these changes may affect them. Direct Care Innovations values high-quality care for individuals with disabilities and supports caregiving agencies working […]

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 […]

Disability Pride Month is held each July to commemorate the passing of the Americans With Disabilities Act on July 26, 1990. It’s a time for people living with disabilities — intellectual, developmental, and physical — to celebrate their bodies, their disabilities, and who they are today. Direct Care Innovations invites you to learn more about […]

When a national public health emergency was declared at the onset of COVID-19, Medicaid made several changes to its enrollment and eligibility guidelines to provide much-needed health insurance for the public. The emergency ended this year which means many individuals who qualified for Medicaid during the pandemic may no longer meet the eligibility parameters. Up […]