Articles and Resources of Interest

• AHCA Applauds Senate Passage of Permanent Doc Fix – ahcancal.org
• AHCA Joins Caucus to Raise Awareness of the Challenges faced by Family Caregivers – ahcancal.org
• Health Spending Explorer – healthsystemtracker.org
• April 2015 Edition of the State Medicaid Integration Tracker – nasuad.org
• Advocates Fight To Keep Sheltered Workshops For Workers With Disabilities – npr.org
• New Resource on End-of-Life Decisions for Adults with Significant Intellectual Disabilities – aadmd.org
• NTG-Early Detection Screen for Dementia – aadmd.org
• Feds Take Aim At Sheltered Workshops – Disability Scoop, LLC
• Resource Offered on State-by-State ABLE Act Legislation – thearc.org
• ABLE Act shows how Congress can get work done – and how hard it is – csmonitor.com
• GI Troubles May Be Early Sign Of Autism – Disability Scoop, LLC
• New DNA Test Highly Accurate In Detecting Down Syndrome – Disability Scoop, LLC
• Supreme Court Rules Against Disability Providers – Disability Scoop, LLC
• Brain Imaging May Provide Early Developmental Prognosis – Disability Scoop, LLC
• Feds Take Aim At Sheltered Workshops – Disability Scoop, LLC
• Demand High For Specialized Housing – Disability Scoop, LLC

Legislative and Agency Corner

• Brain Scans Give Clues to Link Between Alzheimer's, Down Syndrome – healthfinder.gov
• Researchers develop “epigenetic clock” to measure aging in Down syndrome – nia.nih.gov
• 2015 Federal Poverty Level Standards – Medicaid.gov
• Commemorating National Minority Health Month – acl.gov 

Webinars of Interest

• Stay informed and tune in to AHCA/NCAL-hosted pre-recorded and live webinars on a number of topics impacting the long term care profession. 
• Current “Best Practice for Dysphagia and Nutrition” – May 13, 2015, at 2pm ET
• So You Think You Might Want to Run for the AHCA or NCAL Board: Everything You Want to Know But Are Afraid to Ask – May 14, 2015, at 3pm ET
• Understanding the ABLE Act Webinar Now Available – thearc.org
• Behavioral Strategies for Promoting Success Among Individuals with Autism – drexel.com 

Guest Problem Resolution 101: Power of the Follow-Up

According to Dr. Bryan K. Williams, “Follow-up is an art form. Some people have it down to a science. In many ways, one of the biggest differences between good, great, and engaging service is the quality of the follow-up.”  He goes on to note later in his blog article that, “The ultimate goal is to follow up until you are confident the guest is happy with the resolution.  If you do that, success is sure to follow.”  The full blog version of the “Guest Problem Resolution 101: Power of the Follow-Up” article can be found here. 

Dr. Williams is a consultant, trainer, and author, who focuses on the areas of service excellence and organizational effectiveness.  He has spoken at numerous AHCA/NCAL events, and his passion is to serve others so they may better serve the world.  Here is a link where you can see some of Dr. Williams’ book recommendations on service, leadership and personal development.

National Association of States United for Aging and Disabilities

The National Association of Sates United for Aging and Disabilities (NASUAD) holds monthly calls concerning topics of interest to those who work in the field of aging and disability the first Thursday of every month at 3pm EST.  One of the past calls focused on resources for people with Alzheimer’s and related dementias and their caregivers.  Information about future calls, and audio recording of previous ones, can be found here.

Upcoming 2015 Events

• DDNA Annual Conference – April 30 – May 4, 2015
• ANCOR Annual Conference – May 3 – 5, 2015
• VOR’s Annual Conference – June 7, 2015
• VOR's Congressional Initiative – week of June 8, 2015 
• Global Summit on Innovations and Health in IDD – July 27-29, 2015

2015 Health Care Observances

The 2015 AHCA/NCAL Health Care Observances Calendar can be found here.  May marks, among other observances, Healthy Vision Month, National American Stroke Month and National High Blood Pressure Education Month.