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

WE ARE HIRING!!!

 

Patricia E. Kefalas Dudek & Associates is looking for a full time administrative assistant. 

Duties include but are not limited to: updating the attorney’s calendar, meeting and greeting clients, scheduling all appointments, coordinating with other staff, answering the phones, running errands. Must be an independent worker, organized and comfortable with interacting with a diverse group of clients in a fast pace small law office.

If interested please send resume, and salary requirements to the address or email below.

Feel free to share this with folks--  Thanks!

 

Patricia E. Kefalas Dudek

30445 Northwestern Highway, Suite 310 
Farmington Hills, MI 48334

[email protected]

 

 

 

Social Security Administration Information on Service During the Pandemic

 

 

The Social Security Administration is providing the following information about accessing services during the pandemic:

The Social Security Administration is committed to providing uninterrupted benefits and vital services the public relies on, especially during the current coronavirus pandemic.  

The public can speak with a representative by calling (800) 772-1213 or their local Social Security office. Local office phone numbers are available online with the Social Security Office Locator.

SSA’s offices are not providing service for walk-in visitors, however SSA may be able to schedule an appointment for limited, critical issues if they cannot help someone by phone and if they cannot get the information they need or conduct their business online.

Social Security has secure and convenient online services to:

• Apply for Retirement, Disability, and Medicarebenefits;
• Check the status of an application or appeal;
• Request a replacement Social Security card (in most areas);
• Print a benefit verification letter; and
• Much more.

Lastly, SSA knows that getting medical and other documentation can be difficult due to the pandemic. SSA continues to extend deadlines wherever possible. Visit www.ssa.gov for more information.

 

COVID-19 Materials In the current national emergency, legal assistance to older adults is critical to securing and protecting life essentials, as well as empowering older adults and protecting their rights. Visit our COVID-19 page for more information. Check us out on Social Media Request a Free Case Consultation Case consultation assistance is available for attorneys and professionals seeking more information to help older adults. Contact NCLER at [email protected].

 

 

 

ADA 30th Anniversary: Bringing Attention to Health Equity for People with Disabilities - CMS

 

In honor of the 30th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), the Medicare-Medicaid Coordination Office (MMCO) is sharing messages and materials on supporting equal opportunities and inclusion for people with disabilities, many of whom are dually eligible for Medicare and Medicaid.

On July 26, 1990 the ADA was enacted to prohibit discrimination against people with disabilities in all areas of public life (work, school, employment, transportation). Join us in recognizing this observance and use this anniversary to bring attention to health equity for people with disabilities.

Disability-Competent Care

Disability-competent care (DCC) is an aspirational, participant-centered model that focuses on the eventual goal of supporting individuals to achieve maximum function. The DCC model is delivered by an interdisciplinary team (IDT) whom recognizes and treats each individual as a unique person, not their diagnosis or condition. The model encourages participant direction in choices regarding their health, wellness, and life in the community. 

• Pillar I: Disability-Competent Care And Disabilities
• Pillar II: Participant Engagement
• Pillar III: Access
• Pillar IV: Primary Care
• Pillar V: Care Coordination
• Pillar VI: Long-Term Services And Supports
• Pillar VII: Behavioral Health

For more information, visit the Resources for Integrated Care website.

Resources for People with Disabilities

• Download From Coverage to Care COVID-19 Resources to learn how to protect yourself during COVID-19, including information about health services typically covered under Medicare and Marketplace plans, as well as tips for getting the care you need at home.
• Download and share Getting the Care You Need: A Guide for People with Disabilities to help people with disabilities understand their rights around accessing medical services. The guide includes a checklist to help you get the care you need before, during, and after your appointment. It is also available in Spanish, with more languages coming soon. To request a physical copy in Braille, please contact CMS at [email protected].
• Visit the Medicare.gov “I have a disability” page to find and share information about Medicare plans, benefits, and protections for people with disabilities.

Resources for Health Care Professionals

• Complete the Disability-Competent Care Self-Assessment Tool.
• Watch and share our video Navigating Health Care with a Disability: Our Stories, a Focus on the Provider - Learn how health care organizations and providers can improve accessibility and care for people with disabilities.
• View our data highlight:  How Does Disability Affect Access to Health Care for Dual Eligible Beneficiaries?
• Find information on how to increase physical accessibility of medical services, tools to assess a practice or facility’s accessibility, and more. The Modernizing Health Care to Improve Physical Accessibility: Resources Inventory includes tips and training materials to support efforts to reduce barriers and improve quality of care for these individuals.
• Complete the Medicare and Other Programs for People with Disabilities training module to help health care professionals and other audiences better understand Medicare and other programs for people with disabilities.
• Read the Increasing the Physical Accessibility of Health Care Facilities issue brief to learn why physical accessibility of health care facilities is important for people with disabilities.

Visit Celebrating 30 Years of the Americans with Disabilities Act for more information.

 

 

 

A more accessible world - The New York Times

 

 

 

When Judy Heumann was growing up in the 1950s, the New York City school system barred her from attending school and instead gave her only two and a half hours a week of home instruction. Why? She was in a wheelchair, as a result of polio, and school administrators refused to accommodate her in a classroom. Heumann grew up to become a leading advocate for disability rights. She helped organize a 1977 protest that occupied a federal building in San Francisco and focused national attention on discrimination against the disabled. After a long political fight, President George H.W. Bush signed the Americans with Disabilities Act on July 26, 1990 — 30 years ago this Sunday. Few modern laws have had as big of an impact on Americans’ lives, and the anniversary has led to reflections on what the A.D.A. has — and has not — accomplished. (Here is a package of Times stories.) Today, no child can legally be denied schooling because of a disability. Workplaces and public spaces have been transformed. And many nondisabled people have benefited as well: I often felt grateful for the A.D.A. while pushing a stroller around New York (and not having to lift it over curbs). But it’s also clear that disabled Americans continue to endure inequities: Only 19 percent of adults with disabilities held jobs last year, compared with 66 percent of those without disabilities. Children with physical and intellectual disabilities have fewer options for extracurricular activities and job training. Disabled people are more likely to be incarcerated or to be victims of police violence, especially if they are not white. Voter turnout is low, partly because of logistical difficulties. (“If people with disabilities voted at the same rate as otherwise-similar people without disabilities, there would be an additional 2.35 million voters,” a Rutgers University analysis concluded.) Because the A.D.A. didn’t require all old buildings to be retrofitted, many remain inaccessible. As Heumann recently told The Times, disabled Americans who have been born since the A.D.A. are eager to benefit from the law’s provisions. “They also believe that the A.D.A. is not enough,” she added. For much more: One of the best movies I’ve seen this year is “Crip Camp,” a documentary that tells the story of the disability-rights movement through a summer camp where many leaders, including Heumann, met each other. And give us feedback: What questions do you have about disability and accessibility? What stories should The Times be doing? Tell us here.

Free Dental Services for Veterans

 

 

Macomb County Veterans Services will provide free dental exams to local veterans without dental insurance on Aug. 12 and 17. Service will be provided by MyCare Health Center (6900 E. Ten Mile Road, Centerline), where individuals can receive a comprehensive exam by a dentist, full mouth x-rays, a dental cleaning or full mouth debridement and a health screening. 

During exam days, Macomb County Veterans Services will have a veterans service officer available for VA benefit consultation and a county trust fund/relief fund agent available for dental related financial assistance. 

Veterans are eligible for an appointment if they meet the following criteria:

• At least six months of residency in Macomb County 
• One day war time era OR two years peacetime
• Character of discharge: Honorable or under honorable conditions 
• Must provide DD214
• No dental insurance 

For questions or to schedule an appointment, call 586-469-5315.

 

 

 

 

Veterans Affairs Commission to Expand

 

 

 

The voice of Macomb County veterans will be further amplified through recent action of the Macomb County Board of Commissioners to expand the Veterans Affairs Commission from a membership of 5 to 7 veterans.

“By expanding the Veterans Affairs Commission we are ensuring there is a broader, stronger voice to represent those in this County who have served for our freedoms,” said Board Chair Bob Smith. “I am encouraged by the action of the Board and eager to see how this expanded membership will further assist the veterans and their families in Macomb County.”

The Veteran Affairs Commission is the oversight body for the Macomb County Veterans Services Department and its members appoint the Director. The Veterans Services Department is a total human resource delivery agency to the County's veteran population; there are about 44,000 veterans in Macomb County. 

Members of the Veterans Affairs Commission are appointed by majority vote of the Macomb County Board of Commissioners. The Veterans Affairs Commission meets the first and third Tuesdays of the month at 11 am in the offices of the Veterans Services Department located at 21855 Dunham Rd., Clinton Township.

Those wishing to apply to serve on the Veterans Affairs Commission should be Macomb County residents, have served honorably on active duty or actively in an U.S. war.  Members should have demonstrated knowledge, skills and experience in public service, business or finance.  The Commission must have at least one independent member who may or may not be a member of a congressionally chartered veterans' organization.  

Since no more than two appointment terms may end in the same year, the two new appointments will have staggered initial terms, with subsequent terms lasting four years each, as specified in the law.  One position will have a term ending July 31, 2022; the other position will have a term ending of July 31, 2023.  

Notarized applications should be accompanied by a letter of recommendation from a congressionally chartered Macomb County veterans organization and should be submitted no later than 5 p.m. on September 9, 2020. Applications are available for download on the Board of Commissioners' website or by clicking here.  Submissions may be emailed to [email protected] or mailed to Macomb County BOC, Attn: Boards/Commissions Appointments, 1 S. Main Street, 9th Floor, Mt. Clemens, MI 48043.

 

 

 

PEKD & Associates - July 2020 Newsletter

 

 

PEKD & Associates - July 2020 Newsletter - PEKD Website

 

Download July 2020 Newsletter

 

 

 

 

 

Michigan Department of Health and Human Services - COVID-19 Resources for Home Help Individual Caregivers and Clients

 

 

Home Help Individual Caregivers,

The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) is writing to share COVID-19 resources that may be available to individual caregivers and clients in the Home Help program.

Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for the Home Help Client

Clients may be eligible for PPE. The client’s physician may order the home delivery of PPE if it is medically necessary. If you see a need for PPE, please encourage the client to check with his/her physician. 

Call 211 for Quarantine Care Kits and Other COVID-19 Resource

MDHHS is working with Community Action Agencies around the state to deliver Quarantine Care Kits to eligible households with incomes below 200 percent of the federal poverty level. One kit includes food. Another kit includes hygiene and cleaning products, home goods, and masks. The priority is to serve people who are in quarantine or isolation because of COVID-19 or are vulnerable to COVID-19 due to their age or underlying medical conditions.

The supply of Quarantine Care Kits is limited. They may not be available in all counties. Call 211 to check availability and get information about COVID-19 resources and supports in your county.

 

Become a foster parent through Michigan Department of Health & Human Services foster care program. Questions?  Contact Us SUBSCRIBER SERVICES: Manage Subscriptions  |  Unsubscribe All |  Subscriber Help

 

 

 

PEKD & ASSOCIATES IS HIRING!!

 

Patricia E. Kefalas Dudek & Associates is looking for a full time administrative assistant.

Duties include but are not limited to updating the attorney’s calendar, meeting and greeting clients, scheduling all appointments, coordinating with other staff, answering the phones, running errands. Must be an independent worker, organized and comfortable with interacting with a diverse group of clients in a fast pace small law office.

If interested please send resume, and salary requirements to the address or email below.

Feel free to share this with folks-- Thanks!

Patricia E. Kefalas Dudek
30445 Northwestern Highway, Suite 310
Farmington Hills, MI 48334

[email protected]

 

 

 

 

 

Tell Your Senators: Prioritize Older Adults & People with Disabilities in COVID-19 Relief Bill

 

 

Negotiations on the long-overdue fourth COVID-19 response package are beginning soon. The U.S. House of Representatives has passed the HEROES Act that includes many of our top legislative asks to support low-income older adults. Now we need the Senate to act!  Tell Your Senators the Next COVID-19 Relief Bill Must: Address systemic racism that is resulting in disproportionate harms to people of color, including older adults.   Increase funding for Medicaid home and community-based services (HCBS) to keep people out of nursing homes and other institutions that are particularly dangerous right now.   Provide additional stimulus payments and ensure that they are automatically available to everyone, including all SSI and VA benefit recipients, adult dependents, and people who use Individual Taxpayer Identification Numbers (ITIN).   Expand housing supports and homelessness prevention.   Increase SNAP benefits and enhance funding for senior legal services.   Call your Senators today at (202) 224-3121. Use the messages above and our new fact sheet as talking points.