Message from the Board Chairman

Beth Meyer-Arnold

Be Inspired: Be Prepared: Be Equipped    Be a member of NADSA How many times have you been in a conversation like this? "What a nice place, but my mother would hate it if she had to come here," or "Please don't make me sit through a bingo game, or an arts and crafts session when you are taking care of me in your day center." "I'm so bored with this activity, I could just scream." If you are a day center director and you have heard phrases like this, maybe you would appreciate a little of my personal story.

I was experiencing an incredible disconnect, while developing and growing a large adult day center in southeastern Wisconsin. In the late 1980's we had done a very thorough job of community assessment and market analysis, and knew that the community needed a good dementia day care program. We set off down the road to develop the best program we could. By the summer of 2002, we had developed unique, niche-market services for persons and families. All of our programs were developed based on needs and requests from families and participants. We were in touch with our participants and their families, and asked for and received regular feedback. We were at full census with a waiting list. So where was the disconnect ?

Weren't we shocked when we attended a funeral of a long-time participant, and discovered that she was an accomplished square dancer who made all of her own costumes! We never knew this about her. We had not talked with her about this, nor acknowledged her interests. We did not know our participants as well as we thought we did.

Our programming was scheduled to make our work efficient, and to support the participant toilet schedules and staff lunch breaks. The activity program was repetitious and limited to arts and crafts and discussion groups. How much longer were we going to continue to offer bingo five different ways? Plant bingo, flower bingo, western bingo, sports bingo? How long were we going to continue to stop everything at 10 a.m. and herd the entire day center to the lunch tables for morning snack, then herd them to the activity room for exercise? The participants and staff were bored. These were the programs that we knew we wouldn't go to ourselves, or send our husbands or fathers to. We had lost our way. How could we begin to develop programs that we would actually enjoy?

We joined NADSA and learned about best practices, evidenced-based research, and benchmarks the association was communicating to its members. Join NADSA today, attend our 2009 conference in Seattle, WA, hear about our census project that will identify best practices and benchmarks for quality programming, and learn what NADSA is working on in 2009 for you!  

Progress on NADSA's 2009 Goals remains strong:

1. NADSA to initiate census study in collaboration with Ohio State University, with Holly Dabelko as principal investigator. Completed and presented to funders in March and April.
   
   
2. Develop Membership plan to simplify membership categories and increase membership by 10%. New membership plan proposed by Membership Committee that would offer discounted membership to anyone who is member of their state association and state association is member of NADSA.
   
   
3. Provide guidance for Publications workgroup to review and revise NADSA standards and guidelines. Review of NADSA Standards and Guidelines to be completed by Summer of 09, for CD publication at Conference in October of 2009.
   
   
4. Develop a public policy platform to share with new President of the United States. Completed and posted on website. Public Policy Task Force has begun work to raise interest of legislators regarding ADS as an option for receiving Medicare benefits. 
   
   
5. Package and market new and updated products: Care to Share video (DVD) and State Association tool kit. Done and available to members.
   
   
6. Continue partnership with state association for annual conference, i.e., Washington State Adult Day Services Association, Seattle, WA, October 2009. 2009 National Adult Day Services Association Conference, October 8-10, 2009, Red Lion Hotel, Seattle, WA.
   
   
7. Develop and deliver two regional trainings for NADSA membership, in collaboration with local partners. TimeSlips training held in Washington DC (March) and Seattle (October—pre conference).  Marketed to NADSA members.
   
   
8. Continue workgroups and dialogue with CMS, CARF, PACE, Veterans Administration, Easter Seals End of Life and Palliative Care project. Ongoing representation by NADSA board members.
   
   
9. Build additional and maintain current business sponsor relationships, for increased sponsorship in 2009. Received continued support from Helen Bader Foundation and Met Life Mature Market Institute, for annual conference.