IN THIS ISSUE
Choir Performance - Super Fest 2019
Super Hero Training
DD Leadership Conference
Skilled Nursing Survey Results
Volunteer Spotlight
Board Member Spotlight
Save the Date - Jazzy 2019
DID YOU MISS THE DECEMBER NEWSLETTER? Check it out
here.
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CHOIR PERFORMANCE - SUPER FEST 2019
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During Superbowl weekend, a few members of our Annandale Choir had the unique opportunity to sing the National Anthem at the
2019 Super Fest Atlanta
event - an inclusive football and cheerleading clinic for youth of all abilities. Thank you to
Ability Georgia ERG
for the invitation and thank you to the Atlanta Falcons and The Matthew Foundation for having us! Check out the Villagers' performance below...
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Picture with the General Manager of the Atlanta Falcons
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Yup. You read that correctly...Super Hero Training. Thanks to an invitation by the
Special Olympics of Georgia
and the Marvel Universe Super Heroes, our Villagers had the opportunity to participate in a Super Hero Training Camp! They learned Super Hero moves, like how to throw a choreographed punch and choreographed sword work (not that we are saying super hero moves are choreographed), as well as how to properly pose as a Super Hero. And they watched a stunt show by Black Panther and Spider-Man - can you spot Spider-Man in the picture above? Thank you so much to all who made this possible! Follow us on social media to see more pictures coming soon...
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DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE
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THOUGHTS FROM OUR CEO/PRESIDENT, ADAM POMERANZ, AFTER ATTENDING THE 2019 NATIONAL LEADERSHIP CONSORTIUM ON DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES
Last month, I had the privilege of joining about 20 other leaders from around the country and Canada at the week-long National Leadership Consortium on Developmental Disabilities at the University of Delaware. My thin Miami blood struggled a tad with the polar vortex and the single digit temperatures. Luckily, a heated bus transported us from the hotel to the university each day and I chose not to explore Newark, Delaware. However, the fellowship with other leaders, the seemingly endless lineup of brilliant speakers, and the thought provoking insight oriented activities that characterized the week made it all worthwhile.
We studied numerous trends in our field, some quite troubling.
I was most concerned with the data surrounding staffing. The average range of annual turnover for direct care professionals ranges from 48-60%.
As Americans age, the need for healthcare aides is soaring. However, the supply – for lack of a better word - is not keeping up with the demand. These trends specifically are forcing organizations who serve our special people to be creative and find ways to recruit and retain qualified staff to care for those we are charged to serve. Although Annandale is struggling like so many others to employ a full complement of Direct Support Professionals, our numbers trend slightly better than the c
ountry as a whole and we have already begun to recruit staff in nontraditional ways with some good results. Our pay, although still modest relative to the rising cost of living in Atlanta, is slightly higher than the national trend as well.
We also studied the current and projected expenditures of the
number one funding source for services for people with developmental disabilities in America: Medicaid.
As a percentage of overall government spending, it is one of the fastest growing line items. As it is currently structured, it does not appear sustainable. Although we rely on Medicaid for about 85% of the revenue in our skilled nursing facility; the vast majority of our fee for service revenue comes from the private sector. As you may know, Annandale’s model where the families pay about 75% of the cost to care for their loved one and the philanthropic community contributes the rest is a sustainable model and perhaps could be a model for policy makers and legislators to look to for guidance.
READ MORE
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SKILLED NURSING SURVEY RESULTS
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Feedback on how we are doing is critical for us to continue to improve and ensure we are meeting the unique needs of our Villagers at our Skilled Nursing Facility. As such, we recently had our residents, the families of our Villagers, and our employees at our D. Scott Hudgens Skills Nursing Facility take a satisfaction survey. We are proud to share some of the results below!
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Volunteers are
critical
in helping us achieve our mission! Whether it is providing companionship, assisting with a special event, spreading the word in the community about the amazing population we serve, or sharing their talents with our Villagers,
we could not do what we do without our amazing volunteers
. Here are a few words from one of our volunteers, Tyler, about his experience volunteering here at Annandale.
It has been almost a year since I started volunteering at Annandale. I have done a few different things here, and it has been a pleasure to help anyway that I can. I started by helping the Villagers in writing class for the Villager newsletter. I was always inspired by the creativity and passion they showed. I now spend time during Move-n-Groove where it is always a fun competition playing volleyball and basketball. It is an honor to be asked to write for this newsletter. Annandale is full of the most wonderful people I have had the blessing of getting to know. I am always inspired by the love, fellowship, and positivity that I see and experience every time I volunteer. The people at Annandale inspire me to show the same unconditional love and support to everyone that I meet in life.
Thank you to Tyler and ALL of our amazing volunteers for your support!
Interested in volunteering? Learn more
here
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Meet our Board Member, Meredith Hilton
How did you get involved with Annandale Village?
I have been involved in the special needs community for some time, both personally and professionally. Almost 10 years ago, I gave birth to my second child, Chase, who happened to have Down syndrome. One of the first things my husband and I wondered when we received his diagnosis was what his life would be like as an adult. Would he be able to live independently and achieve his dreams without having to rely exclusively on us for the rest of his life? Would he be surrounded by people who would help him to stay social and live life to the fullest? Through my work as an attorney who works with families with special needs, I was invited to tour Annandale and was so excited and relieved that there was such a beautiful place where individuals, like my son, could thrive as an adult. In 2015, I proudly joined the Annandale Board of Trustees.
What have you accomplished and what do you hope to accomplish in the future as an Annandale Board Member?
As part of the Board of Trustees and as a member of the Mission Delivery Sub-Committee, my passion has been educating community members about the population served by Annandale. Through my work as a special needs attorney, I enjoy introducing families to Annandale who may be planning for their child’s future. I am also passionate about helping to expand the Off-Campus Independent Living Program. As I think about my son’s future, I recognize the benefits and necessity of having an option where individuals with developmental disabilities and acquired brain injuries can live independently in the community, but still have a support system to ensure they are successful and not isolated.
About:
Meredith gained her undergraduate education from Georgetown University and earned her J.D. from Temple University Beasley School of Law, where she was a Beasley Scholar and received the Award for Transactional Excellence. Meredith started her estate planning firm (www.hiltonattorney.com) in 2006 and has since worked with families across the Metropolitan Atlanta Area and across Georgia to assist with their wills, special needs trusts, and other associated documents. She is a member of the State Bar of Georgia and Leadership Georgia Class of 2013. Meredith lives just outside Atlanta with her husband, Scott, and three children, Trent, Chase and Caroline.
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