Minutes from July 11th Meeting

AGING & DISABILITY NETWORK OF SARATOGA COUNTY MINUTES

Tuesday, July 11, 2010

Present: Cindy Harrington (Home Instead Senior Care), Ann Quinn (Home Healthcare Partners), Christine Stegel (IPRO), Kevin O’Brien (CDTA), Judy Chandler (New Life Fellowship), Sharron Cataldo (Raymond Walkins Senior Apts.), Debra Obenhoff (Home Helpers and Direct Link), Elaine Gerwin (CEO), Lori Holmes & Shelli Crogan (Interim Health Care ), Jennifer Baldwin (Saratoga Hospital), Kathy Maiello (Anytime Home care, Inc., Kim Swire (St Peter’s Choices), Alice Richmond (Saratoga Co. OFA), Candy Rivera Whitehead (NYS-EPIC), Linda Powers (HISC), JoAnnZales (National Grid), Kym Hance (Trinity Eldercare/Family Care Files), Ben Nichols(NY Connects), Karen Thayer (SAIL, DOH RRDCs), , Noreen Jones ( Catholic Charities), Robin Bolstein (Eddy VNA), Tammy Arquette (The Arquette Law Firm), JoAnn Zales (National Grid), Linda Little (Parish nurse-Calvary Episcopal Church, Dawn Lincoln (Southern ADK, independent Living), Tara Richards (Madison & Saratoga Hearing Centers), Christine Mainella, Price Choppeer Pharmacy), John Penzer (Shelers of Saratoga), Ben Driscoll (Assn for the Hearing Impaired), Carol Clark, Saratoga Co. DSS), James Flanagan (Streling Manor Financial), Debra Verni (Herzog Law Firm), Cathy Tucker (Ameriprise), Dee Sarno (Saratoga Vital Aging Network), Kevin O’Brien (CDTA), Richard Amico (St. Edward the Confessor Church), Karl Francis (Capital District Center for Independent Living), Melissa, Cuoco (Seton Health@Schuyler Ridge)

Next meeting:

August 10, 2009 – Edward V. Wilcenski, Esq of Jones, Wilcenski & Pleat, PLLC

“Challenges faced when aging caregivers can no longer advocate for their sons and daughters with a disability and some advance planning tools that can minimize the risk of this transition.”

Location: St. Edward the Confessor Church, 569 Clifton Park Center Road, Clifton Park, NY
**We will hold meetings on the 2nd Tuesday of every month 2:00-3:30 p.m. unless otherwise indicated

“Our mission is to promote community awareness of the programs and services available to Saratoga County residents who are aging and/or disabled, and their caregivers, so as to better meet the needs of these ever increasing populations.”

Introductions & Announcements

• Tuesday, July 27, 2010 6:00pm at the Hotel Indigo, 254 Wolf Road, Latham Special Open House sponsored by Madison & Saratoga Hearing Centers to introduce new hearing device “Lyric”

• Tuesday, August 17, 2010 Shelters of Saratoga event “One Fine Day”

• Price Chopper is providing free diabetic medications and some antibiotics. A hand-out was distributed.

• A Resource Handbook for Rensselaer county area was distributed.

Presentations: The focus of the presentations was services and assistive technology available to individuals who are hard of hearing or deaf. The organizations who presented were:

New York Relay – Sandie Clark explained that this program is a telephone service for individuals with hearing and speech impairments that is available 24 hrs/day; 7days/week. Each state has a relay program. The relay number is “711”. Operators are available to assist with the telephone conversation. There is no record of the telephone call once the conversation between the two callers is completed.

Association for the Hearing Impaired – Ben Driscoll informed the group that this organization offers American Sign Language classes, has an equipment loan program to trial hearing assistive devices, and provides services to families, friends, and colleagues of hearing impaired individuals.

Independent Living Center of the Hudson Valley – Carrie Snyder said her organization provides a list of available sign language interpreters for people with a hearing impairment who are seeking health care services. The interpreters are all paid professionals. She provided a list of Interpreters in the Greater Capital District area that can provide sign language interpreter services.

Hear Again, Inc. – Donna Wayner explained this organization is a self help/support organization that provides peer sharing. She highlighted the need for people who are hearing impaired to come together and share strategies that have been useful to others to overcome barriers in communication and understanding.

Lions Club - Grady Aronstam provided an overview of how the Lions Club assists people who are hearing & eyesight impaired to obtain affordable hearing aids and eyeglasses. He said that each Lion’s Club establishes their own financial eligibility levels, but each case is evaluated individually.

Respectfully submitted,

Christine Stegel
IPRO – Care transitions project