Message from the Board Chairman

Beth Meyer-Arnold

Dear Adult Day Services Association Members:

I am writing to you, as the chair of the NADSA board of directors, to ask you to "Get On Board" with NADSA, your national association. I am also an ADS Center Director in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. I have been a NADSA and WADSA (Wisconsin Adult Day Services Association) member for 20 years. I am indebted to our state association for helping me from day one of my adult day services career. I am also so fortunate to have worked with an amazing group of men and women on the national association board of directors for the last four years. Starting with Jed Johnson, Anne Marie O'Hearn and Merle Griff, who were the presidents of the board during my terms of office, I want to say a huge THANK YOU!! You have all been such hard workers and full of energy for improving and innovating our industry of adult day health services.

I am looking forward to our national conference on October 9-10 in Seattle, Washington, and meeting new members and reacquainting with old friends!

Today I want to invite you, and your association, to be aware of the incredible value of being a NADSA member. At this pivotal time in history, with a growing population of older adults and persons with developmental disabilities, we are seeing threats to community-based services, federal programs like Medicare, and state budgets and Medicaid. Our clients and members will no doubt be feeling the brunt of the crisis. My advice to you is that you can't afford NOT to be a member of our national association. You will be needing the most up to date help you can get...and NADSA is where you will get it! 

The NADSA website is your go-to source for the latest news, research, programs, products and services for Adult Day Services. Our 2009 Annual Conference, being held jointly with the Washington Adult Day Services Association, in Seattle, is packed full of great information for you as a state association and as an adult day services director. 

Want to know how to strengthen your state association?

Want to know about adult day services "In the News" and future trends as they may impact ADS?

Want to know about the latest in training and education programs that can help to transform your ADS center?

Want to know about current issues in public policy and advocacy and what you can do to provide information to your local and state officials?

What is NADSA doing right this minute for your benefit?

• Conducting regular in-person meetings and maintaining electronic communication with the Veterans Administration, to urge the signing of the ADS contract guidelines manual.
  
  
• In collaboration with MetLife Mature Market Institute and Ohio State University, NADSA has begun the national study entitled "Priorities, Practices and Expected Outcomes: A National Adult Day Study." The aims of the study are: 1) to examine the current operations, staffing, services provided, referral sources, and the consumers served in adult day centers (ADS); 2) to determine the extent to which ADS priorities are congruent with national public health and well-being priorities; and 3) to identify the practices employed in ADS to address the health and well-being of participants and their caregivers. 
  
  
• Introduced Medicare Adult Day Services bill (HR 3043): The Medicare Adult Day Services Act of 2009, which would add adult day services as a provider of post-acute care under Medicare. Just introduced by Representative Linda Sánchez (CA-39), it now has 17 legislative and 30 state adult day services associations as co-sponsors. This legislation allows Medicare beneficiaries to use adult day service programs that are certified, licensed, or accredited under an approved accreditation agency, to provide post-acute services under Medicare. NADSA and the members of the Medicare Adult Day Services task force are meeting with members of Congress to obtain support for this important legislation. The legislation has been referred to the House Ways and Means and Energy and Commerce Committees.
  
  
• Planning a national conference in partnership with the Washington State Adult Day Services Association, to bring state-of-the-art research, practice and administration information to our members.

Join NADSA now! And come to the conference at the member rate. It's not too late to sign up! Go to www.nadsa.org for all the information. Also, please email or call me with any questions or concerns you may have. Someone will answer your questions within 24 hours. The toll-free number is (877) 745-1440.

Looking forward to meeting all of you and personally thanking you for being an active, vital member of NADSA!

Beth Meyer-Arnold, Chair, NADSA
Director, Adult Day Services
Luther Manor
Milwaukee, WI
bmeyerarnold@luthermanor.org