State errs in taking homes | Lansing State Journal | lansingstatejournal.com

Good article on the estate recovery plan implemented in MI.

http://www.lansingstatejournal.com/article/20111204/OPINION02/112040479/State-errs-taking-homes?odyssey=mod%7Cnewswell%7Ctext%7COpinions%7Cs

 

National Memory Screening Day

 

Free Memory Screenings!!

 

Please join Senior Helpers and Thompson Pharmacy on November 15, 2011 for National Memory Screening Day, an annual initiative of the Alzheimer’s Foundation of America.  Take advantage of free, confidential memory screenings and pick up free educational materials about memory concerns, dementia, care giving and successful aging.  Walk ins are welcome and light refreshments will be provided.

 

Location:    Thompson Pharmacy  - 324 S Union Street, Traverse City      

Time:   10:00-2:00

For information, call:  231-933-6600  

 

Memory screenings are a significant first step toward finding out if a person may have a memory problem. Memory problems could be caused by Alzheimer’s disease or other medical conditions. A memory screening is not used to diagnose any particular illness and does not replace consultation with a physician or other qualified healthcare professional.

 

Questions? Concerns? Visit www.nationalmemoryscreening.org, or call (toll-free) 866-AFA-8484.

 

We look forward to seeing you on November 15^th!

 

Erin Simon

 

415 S. Elmwood Ave. |Suite A | Traverse City, MI 49684

O:  231.933.6600 | M:  231.632.7472 | F:  231.933.6190

E-mail:  esimon@seniorhelpers.com

 

 

 

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NAPIS Report

The 2010 NAPIS report is now available online at

http://www.michigan.gov/documents/miseniors/NAPIS-Report-2010_356496_7.pdf

The statistics will be very useful to those who serve the aging.

 

Mike Sheehan
Commission on Services to the Aging

Legislative Report from CSA

Michigan Commission on Services to the Aging

Deputy Director Peggy Brey brought the commission up to date on several items of interest to the senior service sector.

·      Governor Snyder has appointed Kari Sederburg as Director of the Office of Services to the Aging. [Sederburg, of Lansing, currently serves as the director of public policy for the Michigan Nonprofit Association where she leads the organization in advocacy efforts. She previously served as vice president of marketing and communications for Gerontology Network in Grand Rapids, a service provider that works to enhance the quality of life and promote the independence of older adults. In this role, she oversaw all communications, advocacy and development matters for the organization. Sederburg also served as senior account executive for The Rossman Group. She earned a bachelor's degree in business from Ferris State University and a master's degree in public administration with a focus on aging policy and state budgeting from Ohio University.]

·      An important White Paper is being prepared that will discuss health care and wellness, with a significant component devoted to the aging population.

·      A bipartisan elder abuse bills package is on its way to installation.

·      With some exceptions, the OSA budget has retained 2010 levels.

·      The Administration on Aging will be giving Michigan an enhanced Aging Disability/Alzheimer's grant.

The Commission approved the following funding  proposals:

·      Senior Community Service Employment Program (SCSEP) allocations totaling $2,980,622. The program provides part-time employment and training opportunities for low-income older adults, 55 years of age or older, at community service agencies. [Of interest to Region X, $95,496,00 goes to AAANWM.]

·      Emergency Preparedness Equipment Purchase grant in the amount of $100,000. The money will be used to purchase rugged computer laptops and radio communication equipment for distribution to all 16 AAAs to be used during their disaster preparedness/disaster response activities.

·      Grants to waiver agents for the "Building Training . . . Building Quality" project in the amount of $2.03 million. The three-year grant comes from the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, Health Resources & Services Administration, and is to be used to train personal care and home-care aides.  [Of interest to Region X, AAANWM will receive $76,011.]

·      Grant agreement with Michigan Disability Rights Coalition in the amount of $165,305. The funds will be used to pay for Money Follows the Person (MFP) Option C Advocacy Services for people who are preparing to leave or have recently left nursing homes to return to the community with services in their own homes, Homes for the Aged, and Adult Foster Care Homes.

This was the annual joint meeting with the State Advisory Council on Aging, which presented its 2010 report to the Commission on Services to the Aging. Their focus had been on older adults and technology. Because of the subject's complexity and broad scope, both sides agreed to extend and refine the charge for the coming year. There will be three components:

          (1) There will be a survey to determine how SAC and CSA members
                use technology. The survey may be expanded to other groups,
                such as senior center attendees and AAA policy/advisory board
                members.

          (2)  SAC will examine the older adult/service system interface,

                focusing on the aging network's response to the digital divide.

·      Are agencies pushing older adults to use computers and other technology?

·      What about those who refuse to use modern technology?

·      What are the available person-centered formats?

·      From the telephone to the web site: what do people want?

·      What gets the hits on the MiSeniors web site? 

          (3)   Reintroduction of previous SAC research on assistive technology.

Special note to Region X:  The State Advisory Council and the Commission on Services to the Aging will both have openings in the next few months. Please watch for OSA calls for membership and application notices and fill them out promptly (if you are interested) to ensure that northern Michigan has stronger representation.  If you are feeling aggressive, contact Carol Stangel for SAC applications (517-373-4093) or Carol Dye for CSA applications (517-373-8268). Alternatively—and perhaps better—you may write to either name listed above at  P.O. Box 30676,  Lansing, MI 48909-8176 .

Submitted by Commissioner Michael J. Sheehan

Commission on Services to the Aging

Reminder: the October 21, 2011, Commission on Services to the Aging meeting will take place in Traverse City. It would be great if BASA members and concerned senior citizens could pack that meeting, making it the best-attended of all time. Details later.

 

C.L.A.S.S. Act and Long Term Care

An invite for anyone around the country to hear.

 

 

 

Welcome,

 

If there is anyone that has ever considered or if you know anyone

that should consider to have long term care and wanted

to hear how it works, now is the time.

You will hear how the product compares to the coming

Government Plan called the C.L.A.S.S.  Act that most

people, if you didn’t know, will be automatically enrolled in

from ages 18-65 unless you opt out. Be ready, be informed.

HR especially needs to hear this.

 

 Friday, June 3 at 12:00 noon WLJN 89.9 FM and streaming

at www.wljn.com  (use blinking “Listen Live” icon)

will be an educational radio show “Breaking Free” on Long Term Care and the

C.L.A.S.S. Act, a long term care plan inside the National Health Care Plan.

 

Following the radio show, 2pm and 5pm will be a live seminar.  We will

have one in Lake Leelanau Health Department building and one in Traverse City.

 

 More information available for the radio show and seminar at

 

www. WLJN.com

info@wljn.com or 946-1400

 

lorne.dickinsonjr@gmail.com,

631-2015.  RSVP limited seating.

 

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Michigan State budget news....

Final decisions on the Department of Community Health budget for FY 2012 

(beg. October 1, 2011) were made yesterday and there was both good and 

bad news:

The good news is that the previously proposed cuts to the Office of 

Services to the Aging budget for  nutrition, senior volunteer, and other 

programs will not go into effect.  This is especially fortunate since 

OSA has been cut repeatedly in recent years and area agencies on aging 

would have had great difficulty absorbing further reductions in 

funding.  Also, instead of flat funding for the MI Choice Home and 

Community Based Waiver program as the Governor had proposed, the 

Conference Committee approved approximately $24 million in additional 

funding, presumably to fund the additional nursing home transitions DCH 

has planned.

The bad news is that two of the Governor's proposed cuts were adopted by 

the conference committee: there is no funding for the Michigan Quality 

Community Care Council which maintains a registry to match Home Help  

consumers find suitable Home Help providers.  In addition, Home Help 

consumers who need chore services only  (but not personal care services) 

will be denied services as of October 1.   The Center for Civil Justice 

and the Michigan Poverty Law Program have advised the Department that 

denying chore services to this population while still providing them to 

individuals who need personal care services is a violation of federal 

law.  The Department has referred the matter to its lawyers but does not 

appear to have made a final decision on whether the Department can 

proceed with terminating services to these Home Help consumers.

-- 

Alison E. Hirschel

Elder Law Attorney

Michigan Poverty Law Program

3490 Belle Chase Way, Suite 50

Lansing, MI 48911

Phone: (517) 394-2985 x 231

Fax: (517) 394-4276

www.mplp.org