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		The Massachusetts Council for Home Care Aide Services The Massachusetts Council for Home Care Aide Services (Council) has been the voice for paraprofessional home care aide services in Massachusetts since 1967. Council membership includes over 100 Medicare certified, non-certified, and private pay agencies which directly employ home care aides and meet standards of training, supervision, and administration as established by the organization.  Home care aides are the heart of the Commonwealth's home care system, providing personalized and supportive services that enable our elders and disabled children and adults to remain at home. The Council works with state agencies, the Legislature, the media, and the general public, providing timely information and education on home care services and advocating for priority home care issues and initiatives.  Throughout our history, the Council has brought together providers from certified home health, homemaker, and private pay agencies to ensure that quality home care aide services are delivered throughout Massachusetts.  The Council has been the leader in setting standards for home care aides and is proud to serve as the question and referral source for standards of practice.  The Council keeps its members informed of issues affecting home care aide services through our informative Board meetings, regional meetings, monthly newsletter, and email alerts. Most importantly, membership in the Council provides you with the opportunity to network with and learn from other home care providers in order to develop innovative ways to balance the needs of your agency with the needs of your staff and your clients.  2008 HOME CARE AIDE CELEBRATION TO BE HELD NOVEMBER 6TH The Council’s 38th Annual Home Care Aide Celebration will be held Thursday, November 6, 2008 from 12:30 – 3:00 p.m. in the Great Hall of the State House in Boston. This annual event honors the frontline workers from home care agencies and Aging Services Access Points (ASAPs). EOEA has once again agreed to co-sponsor this spectacular event.  Home care aides who attend our event will receive certificates for two hours of in-service. We will also present a “Thank You” gift to everyone in attendance. This year’s program will include an inspirational keynote address by Dr. Steve Sobel, Speaker Extraordinaire! Dr. Sobel is considered one of the top authorities, both nationally and internationally, in the areas of motivation, self-esteem, communication, and the power of the humor-laughter-positive-attitude connection. Continuing our tradition, four awards will be presented to individuals whose outstanding qualifications or skills exemplify the high caliber of service performed by dedicated aides, supervisors, and case managers across the state.  The Council will also present the Peggy Munro Home Care Advocate Award to Representative Kathi-Anne Reinstein (D-Revere) who served as the lead sponsor for the Council’s Homemaker Wage and Benefit Increase Campaign during the Senate budget debate this past spring.  The Executive Office of Elder Affairs has once again agreed to co-sponsor this spectacular event and Secretary Michael Festa will participate in our celebration. We hope you and your staff will join us for this year’s celebration. Register to attend by completing the attached invitation and faxing it back to the Council office at 617-227-1190.   REVISED HHA COMPETENCY EXAM NOW AVAILABLE A special workgroup of the Council’s Standards Committee has revised the Council’s Home Health Aide Competency Exam last updated in 1998. The exam was revised with the specific goals of clarifying/rewording certain questions and addressing issues that arise for English for Speakers of Other Language (ESOL) students.  This new edition is the Council’s fifth revision of this exam. Our exam is divided into ten sections to ensure coverage of all of the subject areas required by Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services’ (CMS) Conditions of Participation for Home Health Agencies.  We are pleased to offer this revised examination on CD to Council members for $100 (plus $4.00 mailing charge). Non-members can purchase the exam for $200 (plus $4.00 mailing charge). Download the order form for the disc at: www.mahomecareaides.com/documents/HHAExamOrderForm.doc. COUNCIL RELEASES NEW CONSUMER BROCHURE ON PRIVATE PAY Caring for a loved one at home can be an overwhelming experience. Fortunately, there are many options today for those who need assistance to remain safely in their homes. However, deciding which option is best for your family can be difficult if you don’t understand your options and know what to look for. Most people are not aware that Medicare and most insurance policies cover only short-term clinical home care aide services for limited increments of time. Often, the amount of care provided through insurance and other programs is not sufficient to keep a person safely at home once their medical needs have been met. In those cases, their family might choose to purchase additional services for their loved one. The Council designed our "Know Your Private Pay Home Care Options" brochure as a guide for families purchasing home care services in times of need. This tool will help you understand what paraprofessional home care services are and will help you decide which services can best be used by your family. Click on the following link to download an electronic copy of this brochure: www.mahomecareaides.com/documents/Private%20Pay%20Brochure%202005.pdf If you would like to receive multiple copies of this resource, please contact the Council office by telephone at 617-224-4141 or email at lgurgone@mahomecareaides.org.
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