Messages from Merrily

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The Future of Aging from the Experts

The Future of Aging from the Experts
American Society on Aging Panel of Experts on the Future of Aging

The American society on Aging celebrated its 60th birthday this year in San Diego, and part of that celebration was getting insight from the true leaders in the field of aging.

There were presentations covering a vast array of areas that are tangential or instrumental to aging. Now, however, the best session on the future of aging is available to view online. This discussion is a panel of experts in the field, and includes Joseph Coughlin, PhD, Director, AgeLab, Massachusetts Institute of Technology; Ken Dychtwald, PhD, President and CEO, Age Wave; Jo Ann Jenkins, Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, AARP; and Fernando Torres-Gil, PhD,Professor, UCLA School of Public Affairs is available for your viewing and learning pleasure.

Click this link and be in for a treat: http://vimeo.com/90718741

There is no other conference that is so broad in scope, and so targeted to the future that we all are facing. Ken Dychtwald has been preaching the effects of the impending AgeWave for decades. Attending the American Society on Aging conference is one of my favorite things to do, as I get insight into technology, demographics, politics, social policy, trends, new ideas and a host of other benefits.

Yesterday at Rotary, Chris Tobbe spoke on Kentucky Fried Pensions.  It turns out that Kentucky’s employment retirement system is 50th in the nation for being underfunded, and this is a direct result of the AgeWave and no one preparing for it. My point is that the issues we are currently facing from Medicare overage and impending cuts, to medicaid and its projected cost, our retirement systems…all of these impending issues had plenty of warning prior to our immediate crisis. So, pay attention to the video and what out futurists say, and start to think about what you can do today to make a difference in how we respond to our current problems and how we plan to make life better in the future. Afte rall, we are all aging, and we will all bear the brunt of non-action.

On a business note, contact us at corecubed is you want to know how to communicate to your publics and make the most of any efforts that you want to undertake.

 

 

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Participate in the 2014 Private Duty Benchmarking Study

corecubed is proud to partner with Home Care Pulse for the 2014 Benchmarking Study
Private Duty Benchmarking Study for 2014

There is so little information on the private pay industry in America because it is largely unregulated, and it varies widely from state to state. February 1st  is the opening date for participation in this 5th annual study, largest (and only really) national study of private pay home care. corecubed, in partnership with Home Care Pulse, invites your agency to participate this year by taking the 2014 Survey during the month of February.

Hundreds of home care businesses participate throughout America each year. It’s sponsored annually by Home Care Pulse and the Home Care Associations of America (HCAOA). Since we estimate there are upwards of 15,000 agencies, it would be great to up this participation number. I personally use this study in consultation with home care agencies across America because it provides standards against which to measure success.

To get the most out of the results, it takes some planning and preparation so numbers are accurate. Each agency should prepare for the survey, by visiting www.benchmarking.homecarepulse.com before February 1. Download the 2014 Prep Worksheet, which will give you a full preview of the survey questions and help you prepare your responses. With your completed Prep Worksheet, you’ll be able to take the online survey in less than 15 minutes, when it opens in February.

Immediately after you complete the 2014 Survey this February, you’ll receive your 2014 Personalized Report. This free report provides you with powerful key performance indicators for your business, including information on profit & loss, sales close ratios, caregiver turnover, referral growth, complete survey responses and much more! You’ll be able to compare your results to the latest industry benchmarks when the full survey results are published in the “2014 Private Duty Benchmarking Study” this April.

Plan to participate and prepare now! The 2014 Survey opens on Saturday, February 1st. Visit www.benchmarking.homecarepulse.com to download the Prep Worksheet and learn more about the benefits of participating in the 2014 Survey.

 

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Alzheimer’s and Dementia by Dr. Robert Friedland

Dr. Robert Friedland, Alzheimer’s and Dementia Presentation Rotary Club of Louisville

This video is almost a half hour, but it is a must watch for anyone working with Alzheimer’s and dementia, or anyone who has a loved one with the disease, or anyone who would like to avoid the disease in the future.

Dr. Friedland presents with a rather dry sense of humor, but he is a respected expert, and what he discusses is incredibly important for all to know and take to heart.

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Thelma Hausman Dunlevy and Mary Geraghty: a Tribute

Thelma Hausman Dunlevy and Mary Geraghty

Two wonderful women passed away this week, and the loss to our community is great. Thelma Hausman Dunlevy was a fellow Rotarian, a fellow woman in business, and a fellow unbridled spirit. She was forever questioning order, asking tough questions, and shining as an example of a successful woman in business who continued to push the envelope for others so the way of new women business owners would be smoother.

Mary Geraghty was a long time caregiver for Elder Care Solutions. She was a caregiver by nature, a woman always willing to go that extra mile, someone who could be called in a pinch to go anywhere and care for anyone. She was loving, kind, wise, and funny. Life seemed an adventure for her, and she got her thrills by helping others.

Both will be sorely missed. Sincerest sympathies go to their families who will miss them daily. These are perfect examples of  two women who approached life differently, but who made the most of their talents, and who shared that with others. I’ll miss you both.

 

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The Independent Contractor Question for In-home Care

Planning for 2014 and the employer mandate is something on the mind of many home care agency and franchise owners. Lately in the consulting side of my business, clients are more often looking for avenues to conduct in-home care businesses that are within the law, but less burdensome than they would be should their current employment model not change, and should they have to provide the health insurance or pay the penalty. I will not go into the specifics that make this rule extremely harmful to the fee-for-service in-home care businesses, but, suffice it to say that looking at providing care differently is a good idea.

IRS Focuses on Independent Contractor Status
2014 TAX on Employees Raises Costs

It is because of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA), P.L. 111-148, that many  in-home care businesses are looking at ways to deal with that employer mandate which requires that employers with at least 50 full-time employees provide health care insurance or pay a stiff penalty.

The government wants more money, and tapping into this 1099 area is now, and has been recently of great interest to the IRS. For a business, however, they are attractive since independent contractors are about 30% cheaper than employees. They also mean less business time spent on employment rules—state, local, and federal. This is a compelling incentives for in-home care businesses.

A 2011 MBO Partners study found that about 16 million workers were classified as independent contractors and predicted an even greater use of independent contractors in the next 10 years.

The latest IRS tax gap study shows that Form W-2 employees misreport only 1% of their income while a 2009 U.S. Government Accountability Office report showed that 71% of IRS worker misclassification examinations resulted in changes to the worker status.Read More

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