Later this month the Washington State Health Care Association (WHCA) will be hosting its annual fall conference aMAZEing Days from September 13-15. Follow this link to register.

WHCA will also be offering intensive training sessions for the mandated competency test required in order to become a trainer for caregiver employees.


The classes will be held at the WHCA Training Center in Tumwater.

You can read the informational flyer here.

If you
have questions or need assistance, please
contact the WHCA office at (800) 562-6170 or
(360) 352-3304.

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Last month we highlighted the National Adult Day Services Association. This month we would like to draw your attention to another important partner of ours in adult day health - the Washington Adult Day Services Association (WADSA).

WADSA is a coalition of adult day care and adult day health care providers throughout the state of Washington. While the national level provides a voice for the nation, WADSA is an invaluable local partner that equips adult day centers in Washington with the tools to provide high-quality day health services.

Incorporated in 1981 as a not-for-profit organization, WADSA's mission has consistently been to increase access to quality, available, accessible, and cost-effective adult day services in Washington. Their members serve an extremely diverse population of adults and are committed to making sure that individually tailored programs are offered in a safe, health-enhancing environment.

WADSA is driven by their commitment to provide comprehensive social and health care support to those living with chronic illness, provide caregivers with accurate information about long-term care and other supportive services, support formal and informal family caregiving, and encourage aging in place.

For more information on WADSA, please visit their website.

Earlier this year in April, a jury of 15 medical scientists examined the tremendous body of literature and research done on Alzheimer's in order to reach a verdict on the status of the fight against the disease.

The jury heard from researchers and scientists working to find a cure for Alzheimer's from a variety of angles: exercise, mental stimulation, healthy diet, social engagement, nutritional supplements, and many others.

There is compelling evidence that PET scans and tests of spinal fluid can find signs of the disease years before people have symptoms. Yet in the end, the ultimate judgment was that nothing has been found to prevent or delay Alzheimer's.

Read the complete article here.

There may still be hope. Last month we reported on a new trial going on in Toronto, Ontario which has shown that deep brain stimulation is safe and may improve memory. Perhaps we should be looking more at Canadian research...

It seems to be common knowledge that there are far more lawsuits today than a decade or two decades ago. Such litigation is often costly in terms of both time and money. However, pre-dispute arbitration offers a less adversarial and time consuming way of resolving conflicts.

Arbitration is a legal process where the parties enter into an agreement to resolve disputes by an unbiased, unrelated third party. Many courts across the country have deemed the process both fair and appropriate, as well as efficient and beneficial for all those involved.

However, according to the AHCA/NACL, the Fairness in Nursing Home Arbitration Act (HR 1237, S 512) does not actually provide fairness for long-term care providers.On the contrary, the bill would eliminate the use of all pre-dispute arbitration agreements by nursing facilities, assisted living communities, and all housing-with-services providers nationwide.

The loss of pre-dispute litigation would be a substantial blow to the ability of health-care providers to resolve conflicts in a fair and equitable manner. You can make your voice heard by contacting your senators and representatives.