Wendell Foster, a local agency serving people with disabilities, is very pleased to announce the appointment of Eric Scharf, the organization’s Chief Executive Officer, as the Chairperson for LeadingAge’s Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (ID/DD) Committee representing Kentucky.
LeadingAge is the premier trade organization for Long Term Services and Supports for Individuals who reside and receive supports via non-profit church, proprietary and government-sponsored nursing, retirement and health care facilities, assisted living, housing and service programs for the elderly and the disabled.
Wendell Foster’s Intermediate Care Facility (ICF) serves 64 Individuals with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities and medical areas of need in four cottages; each serving sixteen people. Wendell Foster is one of the remaining six provider agencies, in Kentucky, to support people within the ICF model. LeadingAge has represented and championed causes for ICF’s on a national and local level, ensuring that advocacy, laws, policies and other regulatory matters are addressed with a single voice and concerted effort. Eric Scharf’s experience in other state systems and current knowledge of the on-going needs of the ICF population and support network in Kentucky will be instrumental to help facilitate a progressive and innovative direction for the private providers under the domain governing the ICF’s.
According to Eric Scharf, the need for ICF’s in Kentucky and nationally has been underestimated. “Our focus in the Developmental Disabilities world has been on moving individuals into the greater community from much larger institutional settings. However, the need for settings that can address complex medical, behavioral and intellectual challenges has been more prominent over the last several years. The ICF model accommodates and addresses these needs while fostering a homelike setting. “It’s a compliment of both models and philosophical views, but most importantly, the ICF model makes it possible for individuals to reside within their respective community in a safe and productive manner”.
In April 2019, LeadingAge’s Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (ID/DD) Committee will reconvene in order to address important matters faced by the ICF’s in Kentucky and on the national level. It is expected that the Federal mandate related to changes in the project performance timeline expectations for public policy issues relating to Life Safety Codes and Managed Care initiatives will take precedent, The current sales tax bestowed on nonprofits and the unresolved property tax issues for residents of Long Term Care Facilities will also be in the forefront of the discussions.
