Tuesday, February 14, 2012 Meeting

The next Aging & Disability Network meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, February 14, 2012 2-3:30 p.m. at St. Edward the Confessor Church, 569 Clifton Park Center Road, Clifton Park. Click here for directions. Please let me know if you will be attending at sosdevelopment@nycap.rr.com and feel free to extend the invitation to others you think would be interested in joining us.

This month's topic will be Emergency Preparedness. Presenters will include Joe Geiger, RSVP Volunteer Coordinator for the Non-Medical Part of the Medical Reserve Corps (MRC), and Barbara McHugh, Director of Community Development for the Town of Clifton Park.

Reminder: In case of inclement weather, the meeting will be cancelled if the Saratoga County Office for the Aging Nutrition program cancels that day.

I would like to thank Saratoga United Methodist Church for hosting last month’s meeting as well as The Southern Adirondack Independent Living Center (SAIL) staff who shared the variety of programs and services they provide for individuals who are disabled or aging.

Note that our next meeting will be held on Tuesday, March 13, 2012 2:00 - 3:30 p.m. at Malta Community Center, 1 Bayberry Drive, Malta. Our presenter will be John Dutcher, Benefits Advisement Specialist from Capital District Center for Independence. He will give a general overview of SSI, SSD, Medicare, Medicaid, Medicaid Buy-In, and Veterans Benefits
Have a great week!

Regards,
Cindy Harrington
Shelters of Saratoga


AGING AND DISABILITY NEWORK OF SARATOGA COUNTY
Minutes for Tuesday, January 10, 2012

Present: Linda Powers (Home Instead Senior Care), Trish Stangle (Saratoga Bridges Day Service), Lois Bourke (Schyler Ridge ADHC), Holly Pajak (Redesign in Mind), Clare Colamaria (A Senior’s Choice), JoAnn Zales (National Grid), Diana Martin (Wesley Evergreen Adult Day Care), Sara Dolan and Carrie Snyder (Independent Living Center of the Hudson Valley), Candy Rivera Whitehead (NYS-EPIC), Sandie Clark (New York Relay Service), Eric Weber (DSS – Adult and Family Services), Kym Hance (Home Helpers), Denise Yannaci, (Office for the Aging), Jane Hurst (RSVP Volunteer), Theresa Setzer and Karen Britt (Alzheimer’s Association), Marion Balch (Sacandaga Task Force for Senior Living), Judith McKinnon (Money Follows the Person), Allison Reynolds (NHTD/TBI Waiver Programs), Kim Swire (Choices at St. Peter’s), Robin Peters (Eddy VNA), Leslie Carroll Vet HELP), Donna Rudzinski (Experience Works), Catherine Tucker, (Ameriprise Financial), Tammy Whitt and Jocelyn Blanchard (SAIL), Richard Amico ( St. Edward the Confessor Pastoral Care), Cindy Harrington (Shelters of Saratoga)
Announcements by Cindy Harrington
Next meeting will be on Tuesday February 14th at St. Edward the Confessor Church, Clifton Park. The topic will be 72-hour Emergency Preparedness. Presenters will be Joe Geiger, RSVP Volunteer Coordinator for the Non-Medical Part of the Medical Reserve Corps (MRC), and Barbara McHugh, Director of Community Development for the Town of Clifton Park.
Reminder: In case of inclement weather, the meeting will be cancelled if the Saratoga County Office for the Aging Nutrition program cancels that day.
The Gala fund raiser for Shelters of Saratoga will be held at Longfellows this year on March 29, 2012.
A seminar presented by Non Profit Works, Grantseeking Basics, is being offered on January 27th, 9am – 4pm at Wildwood Programs, Inc., 1190 Troy-Schenectady Road, Latham, NY.

Introduction of all attendees
Marion Balch from Sacandaga Task Force for Senior Living announced a handyman program that has been developed for the northern part of the county, which includes Edinburg, Day and Corinth. The service is housed at the Northville Village Hall. Local seniors will be able to access workers to hire for jobs such as shopping, mowing lawns, racking, snow shoveling, window washing, domestic chores, gutter cleaning, sewing and troubleshooting minor electronic equipment. Seniors can call the Village Hall at 863-4040 ext. 42 and will be provided with a list of screened workers who they will be able to hire privately. Workers are also sought for the project.

An announcement was made that the Open Door Mission in Glens Falls needs a refrigerated truck.

Topic and Panel of Presenters
This month meeting was dedicated to The Southern Adirondack Independent Living Center (SAIL) and the variety of programs that they provide for disabled and aging individuals in the community.

The panel of presenters include:
Judith McKinnon, Money Follow the Person (MFP) Project Director
Jocelyn Blanchard, SAIL Outreach Coordinator
Tammy Whitt, TRAID Project Director
Allison Reynolds, Nursing Home Transition and Diversion Medicaid Waiver Program (NHTD) & Traumatic Brain Injury Initiative (TBI) Assistant Regional Resource Development Specialist

Jocelyn Blanchard Southern Adirondack Independent Living Center (SAIL) Outreach Coordinator

SAIL is located in Queensbury, NY and houses the NHTD and TBI programs, as well as, the TRAID program. All their programs cover Saratoga County as well as other nearby counties.

SAIL focuses on empowering people to be independent and to advocate for themselves and others. SAIL daily educates individuals and the community about disability and accessibility issues and resources. SAIL advocates for disabled individuals to have the same opportunities as the non-disabled population.

SAIL provides services to permanently disabled individuals, as well as, the temporarily disabled.
Services include:
Information and Referral
Peer Counseling
Independent Living Skills, including cooking and laundry classes
Advocacy including plans for accessibility, education, voters rights, health care and employment
Initially a person calls SAILS with their concerns. Clients meet with and an advocate and at this meeting services are explained and the process begins. SAILS, also, provides assistance to travelers who visit the area.

Tammy Whitt Southern Adirondack Living Center (SAIL) Trade-in Equipment Exchange Program (TRAID )
TRAID loans out adaptive equipment for a 30 day period. The loan can be extended if needed and it is possible to loan out an item long term. The client does not have to be permanently disabled to utilize the service. An agreement is signed at the time of rental.

It is a great way to try the equipment before making a major purchase.
Loan items include, but not limited to: Hoya lifts, hospital beds, walkers, commodes, wheelchairs, shower chairs, lift chairs and scooters.

Also, on loan are items for the Early Intervention program. Items such as toys and children’s walkers are available.

Items can be picked up at the Queensbury location. On the third Wednesday of the month items can be delivered to designated locations for pick up.
TRAID also provides a list of names and phone numbers of person who are interested in selling adaptive equipment.

Judith McKinnon Southern Adirondack Living Center (SAIL) Money Follows the Person (MFP)

Judith noted that the MFP program is more about information than money. MFP provides nursing home patients with options.

NYS is looking for the best use of Long Term Care dollars and is currently collecting information.

MFP is a nursing home outreach program funded by the NYS Department of Health. The project is designed to provide the nursing home resident and their family with information and choices about home and community based services. Services can be made available to assist a nursing home resident to transition back into the community. The program is self-directed.
How referrals are obtained:

1. Department of Health issues a list of eligible nursing home residents. Judith reviews and sends a specialist to meet with the nursing home resident and their family. The specialist collects the views of both the resident and family.

2. MBSQ referrals – Responds to question on this survey. Requires a fact –to-face visit within 10 days.

3. Other – including family members, clergy, neighbors, nursing home personnel

They look for nursing home residents who have low Activity of Daily Living (ADL) scores who could function in the community with some assistance. The family must be supportive of the plan in order for it to succeed.

800 MFP referrals have been received. Eight nursing home residents have been transitioned back into the community.

Judith would like to obtain information about a client early, when they are in the hospital or first admitted to a nursing home.

The client must be eligible for Medicaid. MFP works with the NTDP and TBI programs.

Allison Reynolds Southern Adirondack Independent Living Center Assistant Regional Resource Development Specialist Nursing Home Transition and Diversion Medicaid Waiver Program (NHTD) Medicaid Waiver for Individuals with Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)

NHTD program allows nursing home patients to return to the community under a Medicaid Waiver program. The program is able to provide nursing home level of care in the home at a cost that is lower than residing in a nursing home.

The program looks for lower cost services due to budget restrictions.
The client must live in an area where services are available. Gaps in service must be filled by family and friends.

The TBI program is also a Medicaid Waiver program for individuals between the ages of 18 – 64 with a traumatic brain injury. The majority of the clients have suffered strokes, but other victims have experienced falls, car accidents, abuse, aneurysm, etc. The program is centered around the person needs.

Services include:
Social transportation – transportation escort
Counseling – assistance acclimating back into the community
Independent Living – Coaching in their environment
Day Program – in a congregate setting, learning social skills
In-Home Aide Care – Assist with activities of daily living
Housing subsidy
Durable Medical Equipment
Personal Response System (PERS)
Tutors
Wheelchair ramps
Doorway lighting
PRI screenings are used for eligibility screening.

Both NHDT and TBI clients must be Medicaid eligible. They may be able to obtain Medicaid through a Medicaid spenddown or Medicaid Trust.

Respectively Submitted,
Jane Hurst
RSVP Volunteer