According to the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), every 11 seconds, an older adult is treated in the emergency room for a fall and every 19 minutes, an older adult dies from a fall. Following a fall, many individuals see a decrease in their quality of life due to limitations from their injuries. Along with being a major public health issue, falls come with a heavy financial burden. According to the CDC, the total cost of fall injuries in 2014 was $31 billion.

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Today members of the MediSked team attended the Care Coordination Regional Conference right here in Rochester, New York, where our headquarters is located. New York State is starting a new initiative, known as People First Care Coordination. Care Coordination Organization (CCO), authorized as Health Homes (HH), will provide integrated care coordination for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD). Kerry Delaney, Acting Commissioner of the New York State Office for People with Developmental Disabilities (OPWDD) noted that this move to CCO/HH will require significant investment in technology as tracking data, outcomes, and quality becomes more and more important. During her remarks, Commissioner Delaney said, “technology is the cornerstone of modern living.” Her quote really resonated with me as there is push in every industry to incorporate technology to make our lives easier and more efficient.

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Next week is Direct Support Professional (DSP) Recognition Week, part of the American Network of Community Options and Resources (ANCOR) National Advocacy Campaign. Direct Support Professional Recognition Week is celebrated annually across the country with special events and ceremonies like these earmarked to honor the tens of thousands of workers who enable people with intellectual, developmental, and other significant disabilities and their families to live healthy lives in their communities. 

Many states have issued Gubernatorial Proclamations declaring the week of September 11-17 as the 2016 National Direct Support Recognition Week. A U.S. Senate Resolution led by Senator Ben Cardin (D-MD) and Senator Susan Collins (R-ME) is anticipated as well. 

MediSked salutes the hard work and dedication of the incredible DSPs across the country. Their efforts are vital to support individuals to live the lives they want in the community. 

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Members of the MediSked team were in Baltimore, MD this week for the Home and Community Based Services (HCBS) Conference. We learned and worked with 1,500 state directors, advocates, self-advocates, and federal partners from all 50 states, DC, Puerto Rico, and Guam.  

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