Health Care « Independence First

Archive for the ‘Health Care’ Category

Series educates on Long Term Care

Friday, May 10th, 2013

By Julie Alexander, Lead Independent Living Services Coordinator

During the month of April and into May, the IndependenceFirst Long Term Care Advocacy Team presented the last two sessions in our Long Term Care Brown Bag Lunch Series.

On April 26, Hope Lloyd and Elizabeth Mamerow from Disability Rights Wisconsin (DRW) spoke about the DRW Long Term Care Ombudsman Program. They described the assistance DRW can provide in appealing denials or mediating issues with Family Care providers, as well as how to work with the Include, Respect, I Self Direct (IRIS) program and the assistance DRW can provide when people are having difficulties. Twenty-nine community members with and without disabilities joined us to learn about options for navigating these programs to get their needs met and maintain their independence.

Attendee in group asking question of presenter

On May 3, Sue Gadacz from the Milwaukee County Behavioral Health Division gave a presentation on “Wisconsin’s Perspective on Health Care Reform.” About 30 people with and without disabilities heard this excellent presentation and gained many insights on how Wisconsin and the Milwaukee County Behavioral Health Division in particular will be affected by the Affordable Care Act (ACA) when some of the pieces of this legislation are implemented in January 2014. The audience also learned how Governor Walker’s proposed budget would impact services and options for people with disabilities in our state.

All in all people enjoyed attending and learned a lot from our Long Term Care Brown Bag Lunch Series. We were privileged to offer CEUs for this series. The Long Term Care Advocacy Team will work on future Brown Bag Lunch offerings in the coming months. Stay tuned.

Posted in Advocacy, Disability News, Health Care, Independent Living, Integration, Medicaid, Mental Health | No Comments »

Lunches an opportunity to learn more about long term care

Thursday, April 18th, 2013

Share/Bookmark

By Julie Alexander, Lead Independent Living Services Coordinator

On April 12, the Long Term Care Consumer Advocacy Team presented the first of three sessions that are part of a series of Brown Bag Lunch events focusing on different areas of Long Term Care. The presentation, entitled “Benefits, Funding Sources & Accessing Long Term Care Services,” was given by Kathy Altman, the Benefits and Employment Program Director at IndependenceFirst, and Ginger Reimer, Vice President of the Personal Assistance Services department at IndependenceFirst. Kathy focused on different options for accessing the Medicaid program and becoming eligible for Long Term Care. Ginger focused on different services offered in the Family Care, IRIS and Partnership Programs in Wisconsin.

woman giving presentation

Twenty-nine people attended the presentation, including consumers, personal care workers, individuals from Milwaukee County and Family Care CMUs, as well as a number of individuals who work for other agencies that assist individuals with disabilities in the Milwaukee area. Attendees reported that they learned a lot from the speakers and benefited significantly from coming to this presentation.

Our next presentation, “Overcoming Barriers to Obtaining Long Term Care & Connecting with Advocacy Resources,” will take place on April 26 from noon to 1:30 p.m. at IndependenceFirst, 540 S. 1^st St in Milwaukee. The session will be presented by Hope Lloyd and Elizabeth Mamerow from Disability Rights Wisconsin. We are looking forward to another excellent presentation that will assist consumers, providers and the community at large in understanding and working through the Long Term Care system.

We will be completing our Brown Bag Lunch Series on May 3 when Susan Gadacz of Milwaukee County Behavioral Health Division will speak on “Wisconsin’s Perspective on Health Care Reform.” This will be an informative presentation focusing on national health care legislation that will affect all of us in the coming years. We will learn how Wisconsin is going to coordinate its services in light of this national legislation. This session will be held at IndependenceFirst, 540 S. 1^st St. in Milwaukee, from noon to 1:30 p.m. on May 3.

All interested parties are welcome to attend the upcoming sessions. Please RSVP to me at jalexander@independencefirst.org or (414) 226-8378 V/Relay. For more information, view the series flyer.

Posted in Advocacy, Health Care, Independent Living, Medicaid | No Comments »

Proposed legislation could cut drug costs

Wednesday, April 17th, 2013

Share/Bookmark

By Julie Alexander, Lead Coordinator of Independent Living Services

Yesterday U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin and 18 other U.S. Senators introduced legislation that would significantly reduce the deficit, protect health care for seniors and people with disabilities and reduce Medicare Part D drug costs. It is estimated that this bill would save $141.2 billion by eliminating a special deal that has allowed brand name prescription drug manufacturers to charge Medicare higher costs for prescription drugs.

MH900337294

Experts indicate that this bill will require drug companies to provide rebates to the federal government for prescription drugs used by people who have both Medicare and Medicaid. This would assist individuals of all ages with disabilities by lowering the cost of their medicines. More details will follow as additional information is disseminated about this proposed legislation.

Posted in Disability News, Health Care, Medicaid | No Comments »

Hearings offer opportunity for advocacy

Tuesday, April 9th, 2013

Share/Bookmark

By Philip Corona, Independent Living Coordinator

ADVOCACY is one of our core services, so we think that everyone should have the chance to express their opinions to elected officials when given the opportunity. One such opportunity is attending one of the Joint Finance Committee listening sessions and having your voice be heard. If you haven’t already attended one of the hearings in your area, here are the remaining statewide dates and locations:

Wednesday, April 10^th 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

Kalahari Resort

Suites 2 and 7 (Main Level)

1305 Kalahari Drive

Wisconsin Dells, WI 53965

Thursday, April 18^th 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

Baldwin-WoodvilleHigh School Auditorium

1000 13^th Avenue

Baldwin, WI54002

Remember, if you can’t attend, you can always submit your comments to the Budget Committee by writing to: budgetcomments@legis.wisconsin.gov.

MH900391700

Lift your voices and be heard. It is important to let the Joint Finance Committee know how important the issues that affect you and your family members and friends are. The link to the full proposed budget as it is now can be found at http://www.doa.state.wi.us/debf/execbudget.asp?locid=166 for your reference. You may want to consider the 10% cut to transportation, keeping the transit dollars in the dedicated Transportation Fund, Family Care expansion and adequate funding for it, mental health support, and/or Medicaid Expansion with respect to disability issues or impact. However, it’s up to you to express your own opinions to your elected officials and have your voice be heard on the issues that are most important to you.

Posted in Advocacy, Health Care, Medicaid, Transportation | No Comments »

Educate yourself about Affordable Care Act

Thursday, March 14th, 2013

Share/Bookmark

Written by Denise Johnson, AODA Project Services for the Deaf, Hard of Hearing and Deaf-Blind

What do you know about the Affordable Care Act? I believe it is important that each of us take the time to understand how the complex Affordable Care Act works and how this will affect us in the future

I thought this video would give you some simple information about the Affordable Care Act.

Because it impacts everyone, it is best that we all continue to learn more about the Affordable Care Act.

Additional Information: http://healthreform.kff.org/the-basics.aspx

Posted in Health Care, Independent Living, Medicaid, Mental Health | No Comments »

Long Term Care Team presents Brown Bag Lunch series

Wednesday, March 13th, 2013

Share/Bookmark

By the IndependenceFirst Long Term Care Advocacy Team

The Long Term Care Advocacy Team is working on a series of Spring 2013 Brown Bag lunches open to consumers, caregivers and community-based professionals.

Brown Bag Lunch Schedule:

April 12, 2013—Noon to 1:30 p.m.

Benefits, Funding Sources & Accessing Long Term Care Services

Speakers from IndependenceFirst—Kathy Meisner-Altman, Benefits & Employment Program Director, and Ginger Reimer, Vice President, Personal Assistance Services Program

April 26, 2013—Noon to 1:30 p.m.

Overcoming Barriers to Obtaining Long Term Care and Connecting with Advocacy Resources

Speakers from Disability Rights Wisconsin—Hope Lloyd and Elizabeth Mamerow, Family Care & IRIS Ombudsmen

May 3, 2013—Noon to 1:30 p.m.

Wisconsin’s Perspective on Health Care Reform

Speaker from Milwaukee County Behavioral Health Division —Susan Gadacz, Community Services Branch Director

We hope that through this series, the consumer, caregiver and professional will have a broader understanding of Long Term Care services in our community.

We are very excited about this upcoming opportunity to interface with the community on these very important and timely issues!

For more information, view the event listing on the IndependenceFirst website.

Contact Julie Alexander at 414-226-8378 V/Relay or jalexander@independencefirst.org with any questions or to request an accommodation for the Brown Bag Series.

Posted in Advocacy, Health Care, Independent Living, Medicaid | No Comments »

Celebrating the 20th anniversary of the FMLA

Tuesday, February 5th, 2013

Share/Bookmark

By Kim Nerone, Fund Development/Special Events Coordinator, National Spinal Cord Injury Association – SE Wisconsin

Today family members of all ages express their heartfelt gratitude for the passing of the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA).

The FMLA entitles eligible employees of covered employers to take unpaid, job-protected leave for specified family and medical reasons with the continuation of group health insurance coverage. It protects employees’ jobs so they cannot be fired for needing to take care of their family. 25 years ago, Wisconsin became one of the first states to pass FMLA at the state level. Today we celebrate the 20^th anniversary of the passage of the federal law.

The following is a letter from Kim, a mother from Stevens Point, Wis. Excerpts from her letter will be read by Iowa Senator Tom Harkin on the Congressional Floor as part of the FMLA Anniversary this week.

“Our family’s challenges began when our son began school. He entered school excited, inquisitive, and eager to learn; however, within the first year, he began to shows signs of anxiety, depression, and unwillingness to learn. My husband and I began seeking specialized treatment for him. Despite various medications and numerous therapies, our son’s condition worsened.

Finally, our son was diagnosed with Asperger’s, ADHD, Anxiety Disorder, and Severe Sensory Processing Disorder. As overwhelming as it was to hear the diagnosis, it was a huge relief to know there were therapies and supports available to help him. We were given the option to continue with his current school and medications, or keep him home and work on eliminating medications and focus on incorporating supports helping him to be successful.

I applied for FMLA and began my 12-week leave. Without FMLA, I would have been forced to continue sending him to a school where he experienced extreme stress and fueled his desire to quit on life.

Parenting a child is hard enough, but parenting a child with disabilities has its own unique set of challenges. I had to fight and advocate to help him. FMLA gave me that opportunity. Because of FMLA, my son is now happy, stable, successful, and eager to achieve his goals in life.”

Kim and her son

Unfortunately, there are lobbyists who are proposing changes to the state law that would make it harder for Wisconsin families to care for their loved ones during health emergencies like Kim’s and after childbirth.

Here’s what lobbyists are trying to do:

Under current Wisconsin FMLA, employees can substitute any accrued paid leave they’ve earned, like paid sick or vacation time, for unpaid leave. Proposed changes could deny workers the right to use their earned sick time. Workers could be forced to use all their vacation as part of FMLA.

Under current Wisconsin law, workers are eligible for leave after working 1,000 hours in the preceding year. Lobbyists want to increase that total to 1250 hours. This means that some part-time workers who are eligible under the current law would lose job protection.

Under Wisconsin’s current law, employees can spread out their leave to care for a new baby as well as for a personal or family illness, but proposed rollbacks could force workers take their leave all at one time with no flexibility.

Current Wisconsin law covers employers with 50 workers anywhere in the state. Proposed rollbacks would cut coverage if there aren’t 50 employees within 75 miles of their workplace–denying job protection to rural workers.

These are important issues. Here’s a link to find your legislators. Feel free to let them know where you stand. You just never know when YOU may need to take advantage of FMLA!

For more information about the FMLA, visit http://www.dol.gov/whd/fmla/.

Posted in Advocacy, Disability News, Health Care, Independent Living, Money Management, Parenting | No Comments »

Knowing how to interact with people who are Deaf, Hard of Hearing critical

Wednesday, January 9th, 2013

Share/Bookmark

By Denise Johnson, Statewide Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse Project Coordinator for the Deaf, Deaf-Blind and Hard-of-Hearing

Here are some guidelines related to working with people who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing. These guidelines are applicable to people in all professions, and are especially critical for mental health, medical, law enforcement, legal and crisis response professionals. For these professionals, these guidelines are critical in avoiding or reducing the likelihood of retraumatizingindividuals who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing.

Guidelines:

Do NOT assume that a person who is deaf/hard of hearing can read lips and do not ask the person if he/she can read lips.

DO write a simple note: “Do you need an American Sign Language Interpreter? Or what is the best way to talk to each other?”

Notepad and pencil

Do NOT ask family members, friends or your coworkers to help communicate with the client/consumer. In Wisconsin is it a law that you must request an interpreter who holds the Wisconsin Interpreter License/Certification.

Do NOT prolong the wait to get his/her service needs. Take care of the communication needs immediately!

DO let the individual know in writing that an interpreter is coming.

Do NOT be afraid to ask for the help of Deaf/Hard of hearing professionals.

If you need more information, contact me, the Statewide Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse Project Coordinator for the Deaf, Deaf-Blind and Hard-of-Hearing, at djohnson@independencefirst.org or 414-937-5910 Direct VP.

Other resources:

Office of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, 608-261-7823 V/Relay or www.dhs.wisconsin.gov/sensory

The Independent Living Center in your area. Find a center at www.il-wisconsin.net or 608-444-3842 V/Relay.

Wisconsin Association of the Deaf – www.wisdeaf.org

DO: be prepared and learn how to work with people who are Deaf, Hard of Hearing or DeafBlind, and be prepared for other specific issues that may come into play in your work such as: Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse, mental health, how to serve client/consumer properly in hospital/treatment settings, legal work (police, probation/corrections officers, jail, etc…), assistive technologies, and other aspects related to your work with individuals who are deaf and hard of hearing.

Do NOT wait to get training. Be proactive! For more information on training, contact me.

Thank you for your support in communicating effectively with individuals who are Deaf, Hard of Hearing or Deafblind and preventing retraumatizing them!

For more information, view the following document: After the Crisis Trauma and Retraumatization

Posted in Accessibility, Advocacy, AODA, Deaf/Hard of Hearing, Health Care, Independent Living, Integration, Mental Health | No Comments »

Persevering through medical setbacks

Friday, November 2nd, 2012

Share/Bookmark

By Harvey Ross, Independent Living Skills Coordinator

Having a disability can be trying at times. My perspective is as a person who acquired a disability, after having been able to walk etc., prior to my spinal cord injury. When I was first injured, I spent six months in the hospital with a number of complications. I knew at that time that I had to be there to get the care I needed. I had no idea what was going on with me and I had to put my trust in the doctors to do what needed to be done! Since then, I haven’t had to spend any time in the hospital at all.

Harvey Ross on the Wheelchair Rugby Court in 2010

This past June, I had to have bilateral hip surgery to help decrease the pain I was having from arthritis in both joints. This was supposed to be a three-week stay, which in itself was bad enough. It turned into two months due to complications that came up after the first surgery that led to two more surgeries.

After my initial injury it took years for me to become independent and able to live on my own and do things for myself. This in itself to me was a great accomplishment. For three months after June 20, 2012, I lost that ability due to my hospital stay.

It was a very frustrating experience. It was almost like starting from scratch. The doctors and nurses, although they were trying to be helpful, had started to really irritate me—or perhaps I should say the hospital in general had started to really irritate me. I lost a lot of strength and got really sick to the point where my mother was feeding me again.

It was very hard to deal with this, even more than when I was first injured. I say that because it had taken so much of me, along with support from family and friends, to get to where I am/was and it seemed like it was all being taken away again. I got very depressed and even told my mother that I wished I would just die. I didn’t know if I would be able to regain my independence.

When I went home I still had nurses that came out twice a day to administer medications and make sure that I wasn’t having any major complications. I had to go to the emergency room three days after being released due to shortness of breath.

In all, I think we all have obstacles in our lives that either we turn away from or we fight through. I credit my drive and train of thought—my refusal to give up—for helping me face these obstacles.

I am about 75 to 80 percent recovered, I believe. It hasn’t been easy. I’ve had to force myself to eat more, go to the gym for hours, and get the proper rest that I have needed to regain my independence.

If I could say anything to anyone who has to deal with a situation like mine or worse, I would utter these words from 50 Cent: “Some days wouldn’t be special, if it wasn’t for rain. Joy wouldn’t feel so good, if it wasn’t for pain. Death must be easy because life is hard. It can leave you mentally, physically and emotionally scarred.”

Posted in Health Care, Independent Living | 1 Comment »

LogistiCare hearing is opportunity to voice opinions

Tuesday, October 16th, 2012

Share/Bookmark

By Autumn Misko, Resource Specialist

The State Senate Committee on Health, Revenue, Tax Fairness and Insurance is holding a hearing on October 18 at Washington Park Senior Center, 4420 W. Vliet, Milwaukee, regarding LogistiCare services.

LogistiCare has a state contract to provide non-emergency medical transportation to recipients of Medical Assistance. After planned speakers, the public is welcome to comment on these services. People who have used the services are encouraged to attend to share their experiences.