Patti's Blog - Advocate for Elders, People with Disabilities and Their Families

RCPD Open House Welcomes and Informs

Excerpt from Resource Center for Persons with Disabilities: (click for entire article)

The Resource Center for Persons with Disabilities hosted an open house for MSU employees from the Student Affairs and Services Division on May 8, 2012 to showcase the services they provide to students.

About 20 participants, representing departments from the MSU Counseling Center, to Recreational Sports and Fitness Services viewed an informational presentation from RCPD Director Michael Hudson, took a tour of the office in 120 Bessey Hall, tried out assistive technologies and experienced disability and accommodation simulations.

Michael Hudson shared the mission of the RCPD, which is to lead MSU in maximizing ability and opportunity for full participation by persons with disabilities. Hudson also emphasized the importance of person-first language and positive imagery in order to empower and respect individuals with disabilities.

Man Charged With Stealing $200,000 From Ohio Medicaid

Excerpt from NBC4i: (click for entire article)

A North Carolina man has been arrested, accused of stealing hundreds of thousands of dollars from Ohio's Medicaid Program.

Attorney General Mike DeWine announced the arrest of 39-year-old Augustine Kotee in Concord, N.C., Tuesday.

A Franklin County grand jury indicted Kotee this month on 16 charges, including engaging in a pattern of corrupt activity, receiving stolen property, theft, and falsification in a theft offense.

America Needs Better Solutions and More Options for Long-Term Care

Excerpt from Michigan Elder Law Center: (click for entire article)

This spring, the House of Representatives, in a party-line vote, approved a budget that makes fundamental changes to the delivery of long-term care services and support (LTSS) under the Medicaid program. LTSS includes home health and personal care for persons who remain in the community, plus institutional care such as a nursing home. The changes included in the budget are harmful to older Americans and people with disabilities and fail to address the need for LTSS.

This budget proposal would have an impact on most Americans. Consider these statistics:

•     About 70 percent of people age 65 or older will need LTSS at some point in their lifetime.1
•     It is a common misconception that only seniors require LTSS; in fact, 40 percent of people currently receiving LTSS are adults under age 65.
•     Medicaid is the primary LTSS provider for America’s seniors and persons with disabilities, paying for care for more than 3 million individuals.
•     The median cost of nursing home care is $73,000 per year, and the cost of licensed home-health aide services is $19/hour.

Missouri association of the deaf win suit against state

Excerpt from KBIA: (click for entire article)

A federal judge has approved settlement of a lawsuit filed on behalf of more than 1,000 deaf Missourians over mental health services for the deaf.

U.S. District Judge Matt Whitworth approved the settlement Thursday in Jefferson City in a suit filed by the Missouri Association of the Deaf and 13 named plaintiffs. Attorneys for the plaintiffs say about 20 percent of deaf persons in need of mental health services are children.

Former 'ER' Star Noah Wyle Arrested in D.C.

Excerpt from iVillage: (click for entire article)

Noah Wyle is the latest star to get himself arrested for civil disobedience. On Monday, the former star of ER (and current star of Falling Skies) was detained by police after a demonstration on Capitol Hill.

Wyle, 40, was one of between 76 and 100 protestors who occupied the rotunda of the Cannon House Office Building to urge Congress not to cut Medicaid. The protestors, some of them in wheelchairs, were representing ADAPT, a group that advocates for Americans with disabilities. (Specifically, they fight budget cuts that force Americans with disabilities to be confined to state-run facilities, rather than getting support to live on their own.)

Veterans wait too long on disability claims

Excerpt from SF Gate: (click for entire article)

Those who have served know the military rules: Be on time, do it now. Once they file disability claims with the Department of Veteran Affairs, however, veterans wait, and wait longer. This is an injustice to our veterans and ill serves our communities.

The VA's Oakland regional claims office has the dubious distinction of the slowest response to disability claims - on average 320 days, compared with 241 days for the VA's 57 regional offices overall. A VA inspector general report on Oakland found a 38 percent accuracy rate. The VA's stated goal is to clear claims in 125 days with 98 percent accuracy.

Rep. Jackie Speier, D-Hillsborough, who saw the ceiling-high stacks of paper files at the Oakland office, said, "The backlog is staggering and unacceptable on any level. The VA Oakland office needs to take steps to make it more accountable to veterans." She and Rep. Barbara Lee, D-Oakland, have organized a forum on Monday to help veterans.

Markosek Supports Bill to Save Transit for Elderly, People with Disabilities

Excerpt from Plum-Oakmont Patch: (click for entire article)

Amid talks of cuts in the Port Authority of Allegheny County transit system, a state representative is hoping to save the services for the elderly and people with disabilities.

The Port Authority Board of Directors approved a service cut of 35-percent last month, leaving several areas in Pittsburgh—including Plum, Oakmont and Verona—without any transit service. That plan, which would help close a $64 million deficit in the budget, would go into effect in September.

560,000 Americans With Disabilities Never Leave Home Due To Transportation Problems

Excerpt from Planet of the Blind: (click for entire article)

As conferees begin debating how to move forward with the federal transportation reauthorization, two civil rights organizations are highlighting massive disparities in transportation access for people with disabilities.

"Equity in Transportation for People with Disabilities," a report by The American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD) and The Leadership Conference Education Fund, documents the lack of funding, enforcement, and oversight of transportation programs that allow people with disabilities the opportunity to participate fully in community life.

The collected findings demonstrate that federal and local policymakers have failed to fulfill the promise of the Americans with Disabilities Act and provide equal access to affordable transportation for all communities through federal surface transportation legislation.

National Council on Aging

From The National Council on Aging:

The National Council on Aging maintains a web tool at www.BenefitsCheckUp.org that can help adults over age 55 figure out which of the more than 2,000 federal, state and private benefits programs they might qualify for based on their financial situation and location.

Many of the programs offered have income limitations, but you might be pleasantly surprised to find that some benefits are available to seniors who don’t qualify for federal poverty programs. These free programs range from housekeeping services and eye exams to transportation to daily activities and employment training. There’s even a special property-tax refund for which one may qualify.

To determine your eligibility for benefits, you will need to provide certain information such as your income from various sources (pensions, Social Security, etc.,) and your expenditures for mortgage or rent and other expenses. You might be surprised as to what you will find and, best of all, the website is free!

$85 Million Given by HUD to Aid Those with Low Incomes and Disabilities

Excerpt from Loan Safe: (click for entire article)

Today, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development makes $85 million available to state housing agencies to provide affordable supportive housing for extremely low-income persons with disabilities. This is the first time in the history of HUD’s Section 811 Supportive Housing for Persons with Disabilities Program that funding will be offered to state housing agencies that meet new eligibility criteria, including having a partnership with a state health and human services and Medicaid agency to provide essential support and services. The Notice of Funding for the Section 811 Project Rental Assistance was posted on Grants.gov today here.

Entities have until July 31, 2012 to apply for funding, which is expected to provide housing for 2,800 extremely low-income persons with disabilities.