Public Policy

With roughly a quarter-million Americans turning 65 every month, the need for adult day services and other home- and community-based services is increasing. Certification in the state of Indiana is imperative if our industry is to maintain and enhance our best practices.

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To date, our conversations with various individuals and groups has solidified our conviction that a mandatory quality-assurance process is necessary. After thoughtful collaboration with the IAADS Public Policy & Certification Committee, Indiana Family and Social Services Administration, and the Division of Aging, it became clear that an Association-managed certification process would be the best decision.

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While the majority of oversight for licensure typically operates through the Division of Health, we are seeking this type of relationship with the Division of Aging (as they currently oversee the optional Medicaid Waiver certification for ADS and are well-versed in the adult day services industry). The IAADS Board was instrumental in the development of existing Medicaid Waiver Standards & Guidelines, and so we propose that certification be based upon these Standards & Guidelines.

In light of this, the IAADS Board of Directors has hired Emily Tisdale, former IAADS Board President, as the Interim Executive Director for the Association. In this role, she will serve as the primary point of contact and facilitator as we move forward with investigating the next steps needed to pursue the certification process.

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This process is new to all of us and we welcome any thoughts, questions, and/or concerns you may have. Please don’t hesitate to contact us at any time. Your feedback will help strengthen our next steps for the industry.

Public Policy FAQs

What kind of certification or licensure process do centers undergo now?

Currently, no mandatory certification or licensure process exists for adult day centers in Indiana. In theory, anyone with a space can establish an adult day center and it’s only when centers apply for Medicaid Waiver funding do any regulations come into play. If centers choose to serve only private-pay clients, it’s possible that neither the state, nor the state association, would even know the center existed, let alone be able to encourage a standard of quality care.



Why certification? Why now?

The Association has considered a licensure option for some time. However, after collaborating with the Division of Aging and other entities, we found that a certification process managed by IAADS would be the best course of action. Our desire to establish a certification process is three-fold. First, IAADS is dedicated to ensuring that clients receive the highest quality care possible. That means empowering adult day centers with the continuing education and professional best practices that will help keep them viable. Secondly, with roughly a quarter-million Americans turning 65 every month, the need for home- and community-based services will continue to grow. IAADS wants to make sure that the adult day industry is ready to meet these needs. Finally, we want to be prepared for any worst-case scenarios that may arise. That is, if an incident should occur within a center in Indiana, we need to have pre-existing processes in place so that there are no knee-jerk reactions to these difficult situations.



What are the steps you are taking to explore adult day center certification?

It has been a collaborative process with ongoing dialogue between IAADS and various divisions within the Family and Social Services Administration. We’re especially grateful to the Division of Aging for their continued support of our efforts. We’ve also been in touch with adult day associations in other states. We hope that by understanding their best practices, we can use that information to help create a certification process that’s uniquely suited to the needs of Indiana adult day centers and the populations we serve.



What would be the benefits of becoming a certified center?

The primary benefit of the certification process would be the ability to set a standard of care and support centers in providing safe, high-quality care. This peace of mind is crucial to both center directors and clients. On an ongoing basis, certified centers would benefit from continuing education and best-practice development. This continued support would provide reinforcement of the caregiving and business practices that help keep adult day centers viable. Achieving certification would also allow centers to tap into funding available through long-term care insurance plans. Ultimately, our goal is no different from centers that comprise our membership: we want to ensure that clients seeking quality care will always be able to find a center to meet their needs.



In what phase of development is the certification process?

We are continuing to explore the needs of adult day centers and the populations that we currently serve or wish to serve. As we develop the certification process and the role that IAADS will play in advocating for adult day centers and their clients, we will ensure that providers remain informed. An association-managed certification process will be a big and positive change for our industry. We will make certain that lines of communication remain open every step of the way.



How can I get involved?

The more provider feedback we get during this process, the better! Periodically, we will request feedback about specific topics. However, please feel free to email us at info @ iaads.net or call us at (317) 446-6974 at any time.