MAMES Expands Home Modification Committee

WATERLOO, Iowa (November 1, 2017)—MAMES (Midwest Association for Medical Equipment Services) has announced the expansion of its home modification accessibility committee to include companies throughout the nation.

The expansion provides HME state association members and potential members, which provide home modification solutions, the opportunity to join MAMES’ Home Modification Accessibility Committee (HMAC) to share concerns impacting their business. MAMES hopes by expanding the network throughout the nation a consistent voice will be developed to help address issues affecting businesses in the home modification accessibility (HMA) market.

“This is a great opportunity for our state associations to work together and develop a louder voice for businesses in HMA,” said Rose Schafhauser, executive director of MAMES. “By joining our HMAC, their members will benefit from networking with other HMAs that are not necessarily competition in their market. It also helps on the legislative front when states try to impose laws that restrict HMAs. We can provide tools and possibly resources to help in fighting or educating legislators on the importance of protecting the solutions our industry provides so people can live independently.”

Schafhauser and others on the HMAC plan to evolve the relatively new home modification market by providing educational opportunities, credentialing and advocacy. One of the HMAC’s primary focus is to move HR 1780, The Senior Housing Act, forward.

“It’s been nearly a year since HR 1780 was introduced into Congress and with a unified voice, through HMAC, our industry can lead the way in getting this monumental bill passed,” said Jim Greatorex, vice president of VGM Live at Home and chair of MAMES HMAC. “In the meantime, we will become more active on the state level. We are hearing from people all over the country that are having state licensing issues. HMAC will help us connect with our members so we can help address these challenges to change laws or provide other solutions so legitimate companies have the ability to provide their services to help people live independently.”

Membership to join MAMES’ Home Modification Accessibility Committee is open to all HMAs and is free for members of state associations. MAMES also offers an allied membership that allows those not belonging to a state/regional association to join for $300 a year. 

“The home modification and aging in place industry holds many solutions to help the mature population live safely and independently at home—where the consumer wants to be,” said Greatorex. “By joining HMAC, providers will be in the loop on all industry endeavors towards this effort and be an essential part of protecting its future.”  

For more information about MAMES’ HMAC, contact the MAMES office at [email protected], call (651) 351-5395, or visit the Home Modification page at mames.com.