Office of Aging & Disabled Citizens Digest Part 2

 

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Louisville Metro Community Services and Revitalization

Office for Aging and Disabled Citizens

August 2, 2011 Part 2 

 

 

TOPIC 1 Senior Day Out Registration 

TOPIC 2 Press Release: Social Security Benefits Will Be Paid on Time 

TOPIC 3 Alzheimer's National Project Meeting Announcement 

TOPIC 4 Metro Louisville Office For Women 2011 Women’s Equality Day Summit 

TOPIC 5 NCEA Webcast "Elder Justice and Strengthening APS" Is Now Available 

TOPIC 6 RWJF Health & Society Scholars Applications now open

TOPIC 7 2011 Boots, Badges & Bids Dinner, Concert and Auction 

TOPIC 8 AUGUST 2011 edition of Kentuckians for Nursing Home Reform

TOPIC 9 Social and Behavioral Research on the Elderly in Disasters

TOPIC 10 Volunteers needed/Healthy Hoops Kentucky program 

 

TOPIC DETAIL 1

 

The Senior Day Out Registration form is available at the website of the Office for Aging and Disabled Citizens: www.louisvilleky.gov/HumanServices/OfficeforAging-DisabledCitizens

 

Please share the forms with seniors across the community! The deadline is September 19, 2011. Registration is required for the free lunch.

 

 

TOPIC DETAIL 2

 

From Congressman Yarmuth’s Office:

Press Release: Social Security Benefits Will Be Paid on Time

 

Tuesday, August 2, 2011                                                                                                   Press Office

For Immediate Release                                                                                                     410-965-8904

press.office@ssa.gov

 

News Release 

SOCIAL SECURITY

 

Social Security Benefits Will Be Paid on Time 

Michael J. Astrue, Commissioner of Social Security, announced today that Social Security payments for August 3^rd will be made on time and as scheduled.  Payments for August 10^th, 17^th, and 24^th also will be made as scheduled.

 

“I am happy to announce there will be no delay in the payment of August Social Security benefits,” Commissioner Astrue said, “which should be a relief to those people who were concerned about their benefits.  I’m pleased the President and Congress were able to come together in a bipartisan fashion to avoid an interruption in payments.”

 

People still receiving paper checks from Social Security should consider signing up for Direct Deposit, the secure and convenient way to receive Social Security payments.  All current beneficiaries must switch to electronic payments by March 1, 2013.

# # #

 

 

TOPIC DETAIL 3

 

For everyone who wants to help in the fight against Alzheimer’s, here’s an invitation to a public meeting in Louisville.  Please feel free to share this announcement. 

 

Would you like to help in the fight against Alzheimer’s disease?

Right now, the federal government is developing a national plan to fight Alzheimer’s disease — and you can help shape it here in our community.

 

Please join the Alzheimer’s Association for a listening session in Louisville. Let us know how Alzheimer’s disease has impacted you or your family and share your ideas on how our federal government can help families facing this devastating disease.

 

Bring your family, friends and colleagues to tell key decision-makers what is needed as they develop our National Alzheimer’s Plan.

 

You are cordially invited:

What:        Louisville NAPA Input Session – open to the general public

Date:        Tuesday, August 23, 2011

Time:         5:30 – 6:30 p.m. 

Location:  Kaden Tower, Lower Level Meeting Room, 6100 Dutchman’s Lane, Louisville 40205

                                     

Who:  The “listening panel” to hear your comments includes the following distinguished officials:  U.S. Representative John Yarmuth’s district staff, Jane Thibault of the Kentucky State Advisory Council on Alzheimer’s Disease; Alzheimer’s Association Chapter Public Policy Chair Cathy Nagy; and state legislators including Senators Denise Harper Angel, and Perry Clark; and Representative Mary Lou Marzian.

 

NAPA Background:  The National Alzheimer’s Project Act (NAPA) calls for the national government to create a coordinated strategy to address the needs of the growing population with Alzheimer’s and to set research and care priorities.  We will forward all comments made at our NAPA meeting for inclusion in a report to be submitted this fall to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services for consideration as they develop the national Alzheimer’s plan.

 

What should be done?  What are your concerns and recommendations for:

·         Detection and diagnosis,

·         Family support,

·         Care options,

·         Research, and

·         Awareness?

 

Now is the time for us to speak up and let our federal officials know what is needed!

This is our opportunity to provide first-hand input about the everyday challenges and hardships of Alzheimer's that this national strategy must address. You can tell the decision makers from Washington D.C. what you think.

 

If you are an individual living with the disease, a caregiver, researcher, provider, family member, concerned community member or professional -- your voice is very important!  Together, we can make a difference to end Alzheimer's.

 

Learn more: About this event: ellen.kershaw@alz.org or 502 451-4266; About NAPA: www.alz.org/napa.

 

Thank you!

Ellen Kershaw

Alzheimer’s Association - Greater Kentucky and Southern Indiana Chapter

ellen.kershaw@alz.org

 

 

TOPIC DETAIL 4

 

The Metro Louisville Office For Women is pleased to announce the 2011 Women’s Equality Day Summit. (Save the date - August 26, 2011.)

 

Please consider this our personal invitation to you before seating is made available to other community representatives next week.

 

Discussions will include:

§Economic Well-being

§Violence Against Women

§Improving Women’s Health

§Immigration/Refugee Issues

 

If you feel this invitation would be best directed to someone else in your organization, please feel free to forward this invitation.

 

Registration Fee: $20(includes lunch buffet) You may register online at this time at www.surveymonkey.com/s/Equality-Day-Summit, your early confirmation will be appreciated.

 

We look forward to seeing you!

Registration form: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=3Kk55G7ADzJSORG2rBS6Lw_3d_3d

 

Chris Owens

Director

Office For Women

Louisville Metro

Department of Community Services & Revitalization (formerly Housing & Family Services)

 

 

TOPIC DETAIL 5

 

The June 28, 2011 NCEA Webcast presentation is now available for viewing at:

http://playback.telspan.com/cr2?replaycode=19784371

 

The webcast topics were:

    Elder Justice: Stronger Federal leadership Could Enhance National Response to Elder Abuse: GAO Report to the Chairman, Special Committee on Aging, U.S. Senate, March, 2011, with speakers Eve Weisberg and  Divya Bali of the GAO, and

    “Strengthening Adult Protective Services (APS) and Informing Implementation of the Elder Justice Act: A Nationwide Survey of APS Programs”: A Report of Life Long Justice, an Elder Justice Initiative of Appleseed, with speakers Marie-Therese Connolly and Leah Flamm of Appleseed.

 

Kathleen Quinn

Director, NAPSA

kathleen.quinn@apsnetwork.org

 

 

TOPIC DETAIL 6

 

Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Health & Society Scholars

2011-2012 Call for Applications

Deadline: September 30, 2011, 3:00 PM EDT

 

Purpose:  

The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Health & Society Scholars program provides two years of support to postdoctoral scholars at all stages of their careers to build the nation's capacity for research and leadership to address the multiple determinants of population health and contribute to policy change. The program is based on the principle that progress in the field of population health depends upon multidisciplinary collaboration and exchange. Its goal is to improve health by training scholars to: investigate the connections among biological, genetic, behavioral, environmental, economic and social determinants of health; and develop, evaluate and disseminate knowledge, interventions and policies that integrate and act on these determinants to improve health.

 

*Please read the call for applications before applying: http://www.rwjf.org/files/applications/cfp/cfp_HSS2011.pdf

Apply online: http://www.healthandsocietyscholars.org/

Total Awards: Up to 12 scholars will be selected for two-year appointments beginning in the fall of 2012. Scholars will receive an annual stipend of $80,000.

Eligibility & Selection Criteria:

To be eligible, scholars must: have completed doctoral training by the time of entry into the program (August or September 2012) in one of a variety of fields including, but not limited to, the behavioral and social sciences, the biological and natural sciences, health professions, public policy, public health, history, demography, environmental sciences, urban planning, engineering and ethics; have significant research experience; connect their research interests to substantive population health concerns; and be citizens or permanent residents of the United States or its territories.

 

Additionally, applicants cannot be related by blood or marriage to any Officer* or Trustee of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, or be a descendant of the Foundation’s founder, Robert Wood Johnson.

 

Full selection criteria can be found in the Call for Applications.

 

Key Dates:

September 30, 2011 (5 p.m. ET)—Deadline for receipt of online applications.

January 2012—Finalist interviews.

Mid-to-late February 2012—Notification of acceptance.

August or September 2012—Scholars enter the program at participating universities.

For questions, contact:

Gerard P. Lebeda, deputy director

hss@nyam.org

Office: (212) 419-3566

 

 

TOPIC DETAIL 7

 

From Louisville Metro Police Foundation: Coming September 24^th!

See http://www.bootsbadgesbids.com/ for information

 

 

TOPIC DETAIL 8  

 

The AUGUST 2011 edition of Kentuckians for Nursing Home Reform

NEWS & NOTES

By Bernie Vonderheide 

291 PROBLEMS FOUND IN STATE INSPECTIONS The state Office of Inspector General in the Cabinet for Health and Family Services is reporting that it found 291 deficiencies in 49 nursing homes it inspected in the second quarter of this year. 

The information was obtained through an Open Records request by Kentuckians for Nursing Home Reform.

Only one nursing home - Tanbark Health Care Center, Lexington - had no deficiencies and nine facilities had 10 or more. 

The nursing homes with 10 or more deficiencies are:

• Rosewood Health Care Center, Bowling Green (19 deficiencies)
• Mountain View Health Care Center, Elkhorn City (18)
• Christian Health Center, Louisville (16)
• Wurtland Nursing and Rehabilitation Center (15)
• Christian Health Center, Corbin (14)
• Royal Manor, Nicholasville (12)
• Glasgow State Nursing Facility (12)
• Regis Woods Care and Rehabilitation Center, Louisville (12)
• Owsley County Health Care Center, Booneville (12) 

The average number of deficiencies for nursing homes in Kentucky is six.

So that the public is kept informed about continuing problems in nursing home care, Kentuckians for Nursing Home Reform released the inspection results to all of the news media statewide. 

"LISTEN HERE, MR. CANDIDATE...."
Another governor's race is underway in Kentucky and you soon may be running into one of the candidates - Gov. Steve Beshear, state Senator David Williams, and Lexington lawyer Gatewood Galbraith.   If you do, and there is a chance to ask a question, or you see the candidate before or after the rally, take time to ask him: "Will you support nursing home reform, and what is your position on staffing standards for nursing homes?" "C'mon now, don't be bashful or afraid. Ask your question, then write the candidate's answer down and send it to us. We will publish all the candidate answers we get from you in this newsletter and on our Web site. 

EVER HEAR OF KERRY HARVEY?
Kerry B. Harvey is the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky. He popped into the news recently when he filed a civil complaint alleging that an Erlanger nursing home - Villaspring Health Care and Rehabilitation -- provided "worthless" services that resulted in the deaths of five residents and injuries to others. It is believed to be the first time the federal government has charged a Kentucky nursing home with fraud for billing for poor care. The action was reported by Valarie Honeycutt Spears in the Lexington Herald-Leader. Many nursing home reform advocates know that Mr. Harvey is not new to problems in long-term care. Until 2008 when he was named to the U.S. attorney post, he was general counsel and then acting inspector general for the state Cabinet for Health and Family Services. The state inspector general inspects nursing homes and makes sure they are abiding by state and federal regulations. In taking on Villaspring, Mr. Harvey accuses nursing home officials of violating the U.S. False Claims Act. Officials at Villaspring have denied the allegations. 

TRIPLE WHAMMY ON BACKGROUND CHECKS
The state Cabinet for Health and Family Services, with urging from Kentuckians for Nursing Home Reform, to its credit went after a big federal grant to fund a sophisticated new system for doing criminal background checks on nursing home employees. The feds came up with $3 million for Kentucky to use to set up the new system, and now two state senators are already building on the accomplishment. Sen. Tom Buford, R-Nicholasville, has pre-filed a bill for the 2012 legislative session that would make criminal background checks mandatory for all nursing home employees. The way it is now, only employees providing direct care must have the checks. That would leave out the maintenance staff, housekeeping, kitchen and office employees who also have easy contact with nursing home residents. The $3 million grant will be used to purchase equipment and set up a fingerprinting system. Sen. Denise Harper Angel, R-Louisville, has announced that she will pre-file a bill for 2012 to make it mandatory that all nursing homes use the system. "We need to offer the best protection we can....requiring adult institutional and community-based long-term care service providers to conduct a fingerprint check before hiring employees ... to eliminate those individuals who may have been convicted of abusing or neglecting a patient in the past." 

GOOD NEWS FOR NURSES
Nursing home directors of nursing have a hard job and a lot of responsibility. So it was good news to them and their patients when a recent survey showed that their average salary now ranged from $66,934 to $94,313 - an average increase of 2.4 percent, much better than the previous year's increase. Said an official of an organization that studies compensation in long-term care: "It seems that facilities are recognizing the importance of strong leadership in navigating through these tough economic times."   Yeah, but what about the patients? 

YOUR DOLLARS CAN HELP
This Newsletter is published by Kentuckians for Nursing Home Reform, a non-profit organization comprised of volunteers working to improve the lives of the 23,000 "Forgotten Kentuckians" destined to live out their lives at the mercy of nursing homes.  If you would like to assist in our charitable work by helping underwrite expenses of conducting educational seminars, lobbying for residents' rights in the State Legislature, or publishing informative materials, you may send your contribution to Kentuckians For Nursing Home Reform, 1530 Nicholasville Rd., Lexington KY 40503.  Contributions are tax deductible as allowed by law.  To volunteer, write to the same address or e-mail KyNursingHomeReform@yahoo.com.  Thank you. 

MEMORIALIZE YOUR LOVED ONES
KENTUCKIANS FOR NURSING HOME REFORM is a non-profit organization. That means that any donations to the organization are tax deductible by the donor. With that in mind, we offer for your consideration the thought that memorials at the time of the passing of a loved one or friend could be in the form of donations to KENTUCKIANS FOR NURSING HOME REFORM, 1530 Nicholasville Road, Lexington, KY 40503. 

WE LIKE TO HEAR FROM YOU....
Got a comment? Want to volunteer to help? Just contact:

Bernie Vonderheide of Lexington, the founder and president of Kentuckians for Nursing Home Reform. His email address is KyNursingHomeReform@Yahoo.com.  Telephone (859) 312-5617. 

Web site is KyNursingHomeReform.org OR CLICK HERE  

 

TOPIC DETAIL 9

 

Social and Behavioral Research on the Elderly in Disasters (R21)

 

Description "This FOA issued by the National Institute on Aging and the National Institute of Nursing Research encourages Exploratory/Developmental Research Project Grant (R21) applications from institutions or organizations that propose to conduct research in the behavioral and social sciences on the consequences of natural and man-made disasters for the health and well-being of the elderly, with an ultimate goal of preventing or mitigating harmful consequences. Disasters include weather-related events, earthquakes, tsunamis; large-scale attacks on civilian populations, technological catastrophes, and pandemics."

 

Open date (earliest submission): September 16, 2011 Expiration date: September 8, 2014

 

For more information: http://www07.grants.gov/search/search.do?&mode=VIEW&oppId=106795

 

Link to the complete announcement: http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PA-11-265.html

 

 

TOPIC DETAIL 10

 

Join us for the 4th annual

Healthy Hoops Kentucky Tip-Off Event!

 

If your child has asthma and is 7 – 13 years old, we hope you will join us for a day of basketball fun! The 4th annual Healthy Hoops Kentucky Tip-Off is right around the corner and will offer children basketball drills, giveaways, food, and fun!

 

Mark Your Calendar!

 

Healthy Hoops® Kentucky Tip-Off Event with Darrell Griffith

September 24, 2011

10:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Moore Traditional High School

 

How can you sign-up for the Healthy Hoops® Kentucky Tip-Off in September?

Please register by visiting www.healthyhoopsky.com or by calling

1-800-578-0603, press 0, then press 78429.

 

If you are looking for a great day of fun and learning, then Healthy Hoops® Kentucky is the place to be!

 

It’s FREE. Sign up now!

 

Your child does not have to be a Passport Health Plan member to participate.

 

DARRELL GRIFFITH

Honorary Chair and Former University of Louisville Basketball Star

 

Changing the Lives of Kids with Asthma

 

Volunteers are needed for:

·   Set up

·   Registration

·   Greeters/Helpers

·   Lunch

·   Tear Down

·   Crowd control

 

See: http://healthyhoopsky.com/

Cindy Venable
Louisville Metro Community Services & Revitalization
Office for Aging and Disabled Citizens
810 Barret Ave
Louisville, KY 40204
502-574-5092
502-574-5548 Fax