LTC Reform: September 2008

Tuesday, September 30, 2008

CMS Issues Final Rule To Empower Medicaid Beneficiaries To Direct Personal Assistance Services

from Medical news Today:

A final rule that would allow more Medicaid beneficiaries to be in charge of their own personal assistance services, including personal care services, instead of having those services directed by an agency, was announced by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS).

The rule, on display today at the Federal Register, guides states who wish to allow Medicaid beneficiaries who need help with the activities of daily living to hire, direct, train or fire their own personal care workers. Beneficiaries could even hire qualified family members who may already be familiar with the individual's needs to perform personal assistance (not medical) services.

http://www.cms.hhs.gov/

Norman DeLisle, MDRC
"With Liberty and Access for All!"
GrandCentral: 517-589-4081
MDRC Website: http://www.copower.org/
LTC Blog: http://ltcreform.blogspot.com/
Recovery: http://therecoveringlife.blogspot.com/

Rough waters: rethinking bathing in long-term care

from McKnight's:

To fully understand how the simple process of bathing affects long-term care facility residents it's important to walk—or more likely slip—in their shoes.

Just think about how this activity, one that able-bodied people require privacy to perform, becomes an exercise in embarrassment once a caregiver enters the picture.

That is why facility operators need to pay even closer attention to how this routine is carried out, and whether it is being done in a manner that minimizes the emotional dread that residents may experience, according to experts.

Thankfully caregivers are becoming increasingly sensitive to the dignity issue, according to bathing and lift equipment vendors.

Norman DeLisle, MDRC
"With Liberty and Access for All!"
GrandCentral: 517-589-4081
MDRC Website: http://www.copower.org/
LTC Blog: http://ltcreform.blogspot.com/
Recovery: http://therecoveringlife.blogspot.com/

Monday, September 29, 2008

Medicaid long-term health care costs to soar

from Reuters:

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Fueled by the needs of a growing elderly population, spending on long-term health care under the Medicaid program will soar in the next 20 years, a report released Monday predicted.

Spending for long-term care for elderly and disabled people under the Medicaid health insurance program for the poor will total $3.7 trillion in the next two decades, according to the report by America's Health Insurance Plans, an industry group.

Violations Reported at 94% of Nursing Homes

from NYTimes:

WASHINGTON — More than 90 percent of nursing homes were cited for violations of federal health and safety standards last year, and for-profit homes were more likely to have problems than other types of nursing homes, federal investigators say in a report issued on Monday.

About 17 percent of nursing homes had deficiencies that caused “actual harm or immediate jeopardy” to patients, said the report, by Daniel R. Levinson, the inspector general of the Department of Health and Human Services.
Problems included infected bedsores, medication mix-ups, poor nutrition and abuse and neglect of patients.
Inspectors received 37,150 complaints about conditions in nursing homes last year, and they substantiated 39 percent of them, the report said. About one-fifth of the complaints verified by federal and state authorities involved the abuse or neglect of patients.

Norman DeLisle, MDRC
"With Liberty and Access for All!"
GrandCentral: 517-589-4081
MDRC Website: http://www.copower.org/
LTC Blog: http://ltcreform.blogspot.com/
Recovery: http://therecoveringlife.blogspot.com/

Sunday, September 28, 2008

Long-Term Care and Retirement Security Act of 2008

from Open Congress:

HR5559

Long-Term Care and Retirement Security Act of 2008

To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to allow individuals a deduction for qualified long-term care insurance premiums, use of such insurance under cafeteria plans and flexible spending arrangements, and a credit for individuals with long-term care needs.

Other Bill Titles (2 more)

3/6/2008--Introduced.
Long-Term Care and Retirement Security Act of 2008 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to:
(1) allow a tax deduction from gross income for long-term care insurance premiums;
(2) include long-term care insurance in employee benefit cafeteri... moreSee Full Bill Text

Women's Retirement Security Act of 2008

from Open Congress:

HR5543

To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 and the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 to increase the retirement security of women and small business owners, and for other purposes.

Other Bill Titles (2 more)

3/6/2008--Introduced.
Women's Retirement Security Act of 2008 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to:
(1) require certain small employers who do not provide retirement plans for their employees to allow eligible employees to participate in a payroll deposit individual... moreSee Full Bill Text

Gas Prices & Transportation Webinar

from PHI:

PHI has been covering the effects of rising gas prices on direct-care workers since early this summer. Now, as our nation’s economic crisis grows more severe, the challenge to these low-wage workers has intensified.

The National Direct Service Workforce Resource Center held a webinar earlier this week called “Gas Price Increases & Other Transportation Challenges for Direct Service Workers.” The presentation included an overview of the problem, a description of approaches used by states and providers to address the issue, and information on related Medicaid reimbursement policies and options.

On one slide of the powerpoint used in the webinar, we learn the following about the impact of rising gas prices on area agencies on aging:

over 50% said they have cut back on programs
90% say they expect to make cuts in the 2009 fiscal year
70% say it is more difficult to recruit

For more information, download the 18-slide powerpoint (ppt 373k) used in the presentation.

Saturday, September 27, 2008

New Data on Kaiserhealthfacts

from Kaiserhealthfacts.org:

Statehealthfacts.org Updates Data on Demographics, Health Insurance Coverage, Household Income, Nursing Homes, and More
Statehealthfacts.org has updated all demographic and health coverage topics based on the the Foundation's Kaiser Commission on Medicaid and the Uninsured (KCMU) and Urban Institute's analysis of the U.S. Census Bureau's March 2008 Current Population Survey (CPS). Demographic characteristics for the total population and people living in poverty for 2006-2007 based on the CPS are now available, together with 2006-2007 health coverage data presented by age, income, sex, race, and other demographic measures for all states and the nation. Also available are trends in coverage for the nonelderly population, adults, and children from 2004-2007 by state and for the nation. The latest data on state and national median annual household income from the CPS are also now available for 2005-2007. Updated Bureau of Labor Statistics information on health care employment and workers represented by unions has been added for 2007 for all states and the nation. Other updates include 2007 state-by-state data from the Social Security Administration on SSDI beneficiaries and new 2007 data from the University of California at San Francisco on nursing homes for all states and the nation. KCMU's Medicaid and Children's Health interactive fact sheets have also been updated to reflect the latest demographic and health coverage data from the CPS.

Norman DeLisle, MDRC
"With Liberty and Access for All!"
GrandCentral: 517-589-4081
MDRC Website: http://www.copower.org/
LTC Blog: http://ltcreform.blogspot.com/
Recovery: http://therecoveringlife.blogspot.com/

Friday, September 26, 2008

Statement By R. M. Hayes, President, Medicare Rights Center, On Choice Of Prescription Drug And Medicare Health Plans For 2009

from Medical News Today:

Once again, all across the country, people with Medicare will face for 2009 a bewildering choice of nearly 50 prescription drug plans and over 40 Medicare health plans, including HMOs, PPOs, and private fee-for-service plans of every variety. It is a Wild West marketplace and older Americans are ripe for exploitation.

Bait-and-switch tactics are in full play. In 2009, the average one-year premium increase for over 60 percent of people with Medicare - those enrolled in the ten largest drug plans - will exceed 30 percent. Two of the nation's largest plans, both sponsored by Humana, are increasing premiums by over 60 percent over 2008. Humana's standard drug plan, the second largest in the country, is increasing its premium by 330 percent since it launched its "low-premium" plan in 2006.

Norman DeLisle, MDRC
"With Liberty and Access for All!"
GrandCentral: 517-589-4081
MDRC Website: http://www.copower.org/
LTC Blog: http://ltcreform.blogspot.com/
Recovery: http://therecoveringlife.blogspot.com/

Yarwood: U.S. must stabilize economy to preserve long-term care, retirement accounts

from McKnight's:

Congress came to an agreement Wednesday on a $700 bailout package for the faltering financial sector. Such action is good news for long-term care and seniors' retirement accounts, according to Bruce Yarwood, president of the American Health Care Association.

"It's imperative that our nation's leaders address our faltering economy in order to ensure stability for our nation, stability of American jobs, stability for the entire business sector including long-term care and stability of the retirement accounts of hardworking Americans," Yarwood told McKnight's.

Norman DeLisle, MDRC
"With Liberty and Access for All!"
GrandCentral: 517-589-4081
MDRC Website: http://www.copower.org/
LTC Blog: http://ltcreform.blogspot.com/
Recovery: http://therecoveringlife.blogspot.com/

Takeover will keep Metron nursing care home open

from Mlive.com:

ALLEGAN -- A Southfield company has agreed to take over a nursing home that lost its Medicaid and Medicare funding and was facing possible revocation of its state license.

The tentative deal reached Wednesday averts the closing of Metron of Allegan, one of seven nursing homes owned by Cascade Township-based Metron Integrated Health Systems. The Allegan nursing home lost its government funding Sept. 11 because of 32 health and fire safety violations and was in danger of closing soon, a move that would have displaced 55 elderly residents

Norman DeLisle, MDRC
"With Liberty and Access for All!"
GrandCentral: 517-589-4081
MDRC Website: http://www.copower.org/
LTC Blog: http://ltcreform.blogspot.com/
Recovery: http://therecoveringlife.blogspot.com/

Racial Disparities in Access to Long-Term Care: The Illusive Pursuit of Equity

from Journal of Health Politics, Policy and Law:

While nursing homes were insulated from civil-rights enforcementat the time of the implementation of the Medicare program andlagged behind other parts of the health sector in providingcomparable access to minorities, they are the only providersfor which current reporting requirements make it possible tofully assess racial disparities in use and quality of care.We find that African Americans' use of nursing homes in 2000in the United States was 14 percent higher than Caucasians'use. The largest relative African American use of nursing homesin 2000 took place in the South and West. Average nursing-homecase-mix acuity for African Americans and Caucasians were essentiallyidentical, suggesting that shifts in payment incentives haveeliminated the selective admission of easy-care private-pay(predominantly Caucasian) patients and helped fuel the growthof private pay home care and assisted living for this segmentof the population. While these shifts in incentives helped increasethe use of nursing homes by African Americans, a high degreeof segregation and disparity in the quality of the nursing homesused by African Americans persists. Parity in use is an illusivebenchmark for measuring progress in assuring equity in treatment.

Norman DeLisle, MDRC
"With Liberty and Access for All!"
GrandCentral: 517-589-4081
MDRC Website: http://www.copower.org/
LTC Blog: http://ltcreform.blogspot.com/
Recovery: http://therecoveringlife.blogspot.com/

Nursing Homes: An Overview Of The State System

from LTC Ombudsman Center:

Nursing homes provide care to over 1.7 million people every year. However, many individuals and family members find it a real challenge to select a facility and to ensure appropriate care will be provided. Generally, a nursing home is a residential facility offering daily assistance to individuals who are physically or mentally unable to live independently. Residents are provided rooms, meals, assistance with daily living, nursing services and some medical treatment. Medicare can help pay for skilled nursing facility (SNF) care for up to 100 days in a benefit period when a beneficiary meets certain conditions. Medicaid may also help pay for nursing home care, though coverage varies from state to state. Individuals who require custodial care such as help with eating, bathing, taking medicine and toileting, as well as those who require skilled care may have their nursing home stay paid for by Medicaid if they meet specific financial criteria.

The long term care system is complex and difficult to understand. The many different agencies responsible to help ensure good care for nursing home residents are listed below.

Thursday, September 25, 2008

Ever-Expanding Seniors Helping Seniors In-Home Services Now Has 50 Franchise Territories In 15 States

from longtermcareprovider.com:

Reading, PA - Seniors Helping Seniors In-Home Services (SHS), the national caregiver and companionship organization that uniquely matches seniors needing non-medical in-home services with seniors who provide them, has grown rapidly in less than three years to currently include some 50 franchise territories in 15 states across the U.S.

Launched in January 2005 by co-founders Philip and Kiran Yocom, the for-profit Seniors Helping Seniors locations meet the rapidly expanding demand of older Americans who want to remain in their own homes and remain self-sufficient. It also caters to the fast-growing number of caregivers, especially those helping aging parents.

Seniors Helping Seniors In-Home Services has five master license holders running multi-state territories and franchise partners with single or multiple locations in Pennsylvania, Ohio, New Jersey, Connecticut, Massachusetts, New York, Delaware, Virginia, Maryland, the District of Columbia, North Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Michigan and California.

Rite Aid Offers Help To Stressed Caregivers

from longtermcareprovider.com:

CAMP HILL, Pa.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Being a caregiver can be very stressful for the more than 44 million Americans charged with taking care of an aging loved one. That's why Rite Aid has launched its new "Giving Care for Parents" program with print and online resources that offer solutions to common caregiving problems, expert advice from Rite Aid pharmacists and geriatric authorities and a library of informational videos. Caregivers also will be able to establish an online network of support through chats with other caregivers later this year.

In the 20-page Caregivers Guide available at Rite Aid stores across the country, caregivers will find helpful hints on topics including financial planning, strategies for balancing their careers and personal lives and advice for living with their loved ones. The guide also has information on support groups, programs and other resources such as medical facilities and businesses that cater to seniors and caregivers.

At www.riteaid.com, caregivers can click on "Giving Care for Parents" and find resources such as a collection of articles written by medical and geriatric professionals, nursing home staff and government experts on aging addressing common concerns such as accidents at home, long-term care, legal and financial issues and health conditions like Alzheimer's disease.

Wednesday, September 24, 2008

Man Succumbs To 7-Year Battle With Health Insurance

from The Onion:

DENVER—After years of battling crippling premiums and agonizing deductibles, local resident Michael Haige finally succumbed this week to the health insurance policy that had ravaged his adult life.

Haige, who had suffered from limited medical coverage for nearly a decade, passed away early Monday morning. According to sources, the 46-year-old was laid to rest at Fairplains cemetery, surrounded by friends, family members, and more than $300,000 of mounting debt.

"I miss Michael every single day, but at least he can finally rest now," said Sheila Haige, who watched as insurance rates ate away at her husband over time.

Norman DeLisle, MDRC
"With Liberty and Access for All!"
GrandCentral: 517-589-4081
MDRC Website: http://www.copower.org/
LTC Blog: http://ltcreform.blogspot.com/
Recovery: http://therecoveringlife.blogspot.com/

Nursing home woes

from WWMT.com:

ALLEGAN COUNTY, Mich. (NEWSCHANNEL 3) - On Monday, Newschannel 3 reported about an Allegan County nursing home that could be losing its license.

New information has been released Tuesday, that shows it might not have to close. Tuesday, the state told Newschannel 3 that it's looking for someone to by Metron's facility. A new buyer could keep that home operating.

If that home continued to operate, it would certainly help all those families from having to scramble and look for a new home for their loved ones.

Newschannel 3 was out in Allegan to bring you the story.

Residents and their families were set to meet with officials at Metron of Allegan Tuesday afternoon about possibly relocating their loved ones, this meeting as the state set a meeting of its own with Metron for Wednesday to continue discussing a potential buyer.

Norman DeLisle, MDRC
"With Liberty and Access for All!"
GrandCentral: 517-589-4081
MDRC Website: http://www.copower.org/
LTC Blog: http://ltcreform.blogspot.com/
Recovery: http://therecoveringlife.blogspot.com/

Long-term Care Often Left Out of Talks on Healthcare Reform

from Medpage Today:

WASHINGTON, Sept. 12 -- Long-term care seems to be a poor stepchild in the healthcare-reform debate.

So suggested Susan Dentzer, editor-in-chief of Health Affairs, who moderated a symposium here on how to provide and pay for long-term care for those with chronic diseases.

According to Dentzer, neither major presidential candidates has addressed the issue of how to pay for the 12 million elderly Americans who require some form of long-term care -- defined as any social or medical services for people with chronic disease.

As the nation's 78 million baby boomers continue to age, the number of elderly people requiring long-term care will only increase and is expected to reach 20 million, according to Genworth Financial, a long-term care insurance provider that sponsored the event.

Norman DeLisle, MDRC
"With Liberty and Access for All!"
GrandCentral: 517-589-4081
MDRC Website: http://www.copower.org/
LTC Blog: http://ltcreform.blogspot.com/
Recovery: http://therecoveringlife.blogspot.com/

LTC Employer Speaks Out on Health Reform

from Health Care for Health Care Workers:

Last week, the Pennsylvania Health Access Network, of which HCHCW-PA is member, held a rally in Harrisburg to call on the Pennsylvania State Senate to pass bills that would provide health insurance coverage to thousands of uninsured Pensylvania residents - including many direct-care workers.

Lori Michael, the owner of a home nursing care company in Schuylkill County and an advocate for HCHCW, cited unaffordable health coverage as a major business issue. Lori spoke about the impact the lack of affordable health insurance has on her ability to retain and recruit direct-care workers to serve the ever growing client base. “People in Pennsylvania want to age at home,” said Lori Michael, owner of Lori’s Angels in Schuylkill Haven. “We want to help them do that. We need help from state government.” The rally and Lori’s comments were covered in the Scranton Times and on PCN network.

Tuesday, September 23, 2008

Aging committee to look into end-of-life issues

Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) on Wednesday will chair a Senate Special Committee on Aging hearing into the legal environment, laws and barriers surrounding end-of-life decision-making.

Whitehouse, who will share personal experiences relating to end-of-life care and decision-making, will host a panel of legal and care experts from the American Bar Association, the Center to Advance Palliative Care, the Center for Gerontology and Health Care Research and BlueCross BlueShield. Much of the discussion will center on the various ways in which patients document their final wishes and the role of nursing providers and hospice workers in that process. The hearing will take place tomorrow at the Dirksen Senate Office Building at 10:30am.

Norman DeLisle, MDRC
"With Liberty and Access for All!"
GrandCentral: 517-589-4081
MDRC Website: http://www.copower.org/
LTC Blog: http://ltcreform.blogspot.com/
Recovery: http://therecoveringlife.blogspot.com/

Health alliance formed to assist elderly - Business First of Buffalo:

A new initiative is bringing together private and non-profit nursing homes and providers of care for the elderly.

The Western New York Alliance for Person-Centered Care was launched Sept. 19 as an initiative aimed at transforming the way nursing homes and other providers deliver care to the elderly.

The initiative, described as the first of its kind nationwide, includes members from throughout the region’s long-term care community, including the Catholic Health System, Beechwood Homes, People Inc., Kaleida Health and the Erie County Home. Other participants include government regulators and academics from the University at Buffalo. The Rochester-based Pioneer Network of homes is also a participant.

More than 300 long term health care professionals participated in a launch conference Sept. 19 featuring William Thomas, a renowned geriatrician and revolutionary in the long term care industry.

The goal of the alliance is to effect change through a community-based strategic plan to introduce, refine, and promote person-centered care through education and mentoring.

Norman DeLisle, MDRC
"With Liberty and Access for All!"
GrandCentral: 517-589-4081
MDRC Website: http://www.copower.org/
LTC Blog: http://ltcreform.blogspot.com/
Recovery: http://therecoveringlife.blogspot.com/

New safety survey available from Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality

The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality released a new survey to help nursing homes assess safety, track changes in resident safety over time, and evaluate the impact of safety interventions.

The survey and other toolkit materials are available on the AHRQ Web site athttp://www.ahrq.gov/qual/hospculture/.

Norman DeLisle, MDRC
"With Liberty and Access for All!"
GrandCentral: 517-589-4081
MDRC Website: http://www.copower.org/
LTC Blog: http://ltcreform.blogspot.com/
Recovery: http://therecoveringlife.blogspot.com/

Sunday, September 21, 2008

Upcoming Webinar: Gas Prices and Other Transportation Challenges for Direct Service Workers

from Hollis Turnham:

The DSW Resource Center will host a webinar on the topic of high gas prices and other transportation challenges for direct service workers in home and community-based settings on September 23, 2008 at 3:00 pm Eastern. This webinar will feature an overview of the problem, approaches that states and providers have used to help cover transportation costs for these workers, and information on related Medicaid reimbursement policies and options.

Reserve your Webinar seat now!

Attention Providers and States: If you have a transportation policy, please contact us in advance or contribute to the discussion during the webinar. We hope to have a lively discussion!

Norman DeLisle, MDRC
"With Liberty and Access for All!"
GrandCentral: 517-589-4081
MDRC Website: http://www.copower.org/
LTC Blog: http://ltcreform.blogspot.com/
Recovery: http://therecoveringlife.blogspot.com/

Saturday, September 20, 2008

ADAPT Action Wrap Up and more thoughts on empathy

I have returned now to the “real world” and am coming down off of the natural high of the ADAPT action. The adrenaline of that 5 days was pretty extraordinary. I heard several stories explaining why and how the arrests went down at Dodd’s office — and several other offices of members of congress, apparently. Rather than relate them here, with the inaccuracies of sleep deprived memory, let me point you to ADAPT’s press releases: http://duhcity.org/duhpress.html. They are all informative, but the first on the list — http://duhcity.org/press/duh004.html — is the most relevant to the action that happened on Tuesday on Capitol Hill.

One thing of note that you won’t find on the press release pages is a description of how I spent my Tuesday night. More...

Fla. Medicaid recipients want out of nursing homes

PLANT CITY, Fla. (AP) — Charles Todd Lee spent a lifetime going backstage at concerts, following politicians on the campaign trail and capturing iconic shots of everyone from Martin Luther King Jr. to Mick Jagger to Mickey Mantle. Today, he enjoys such freedom only in his dreams.

The 67-year-old photographer has been confined to a nursing home for five years, the victim of a stroke that paralyzed his left side. And he's angry.

"Most of the people come here to die, so you want to die," he said. "It is a prison. I can't escape it."

Lee is among the Medicaid recipients across Florida challenging the nightmare of the old and disabled: to be forced from comfort and familiarity into a nursing home.

They say the state is illegally forcing them to live in nursing homes when they should be able to live where they choose. Advocates charge that nursing homes, afraid of losing money, have successfully pressured politicians to make qualifying for community care more difficult. They have filed a federal lawsuit seeking class-action status on behalf of nearly 8,500 institutionalized Floridians. More...

Community-Based Participatory Research in Disability and Long-Term Care Policy: A Case Study

From 1997 to 2003, Illinois was spending approximately 80% of its long-term care budget on nursing homes and institutional care and was facing significant challenges to its long-term care delivery and the need to rebalance toward community-based supports for people with disabilities. A case-based program evaluation was done to analyze Moving Out of the Nursing Home to the Community, a community- based participatory research (CBPR) project. The Chicago-based project documented the experiences and concerns of 200 disabled people attempting to transition out of nursing homes to least restrictive community living, actively involving participants in an empowerment and systems and policy change program. The authors describe the partnership between the University of Illinois at Chicago and two centers for independent living; the project's research, policy-related goals, and activities; and the outcomes realized. Barriers and facilitating factors to long-term care systems change are described, as are implications for other CBPR partnerships focused on disability public policy. Keywords: community-based participatory research; disability policy; long- term care policy; community living; nursing homes; community integration; community participation. More...

Norman DeLisle, MDRC
"With Liberty and Access for All!"
GrandCentral: 517-589-4081
MDRC Website: http://www.copower.org/
LTC Blog: http://ltcreform.blogspot.com/
Recovery: http://therecoveringlife.blogspot.com/

Thursday, September 18, 2008

What does the 2007 Nursing Home Data Show?

Highlights:

1. In 2007, the average number of registered nurses hours per resident
was 0.6 hours - a little more than a half an hour per resident. This
represents a 14% decline between 2001 and 2007.

2. There was a 7% increase of residents with dementia (to 45.6% of the
total residents) and a 33% increase of residents with other psychiatric
diagnoses (21.4% of total residents).

3. The good news is that fewer people were either in bed or physical
restraints. The bad news is that the form of restraints has shifted to
"chair bound." 56% of all residents were chair bound.

4. More than 94,000 residents (nearly 7% of the entire nursing home
population) have pressure sores.

5. More than 114,600 "deficiencies" were issued for violations of federal
regulations and requirements. There was an average of 7.5 deficiency
violations per nursing facility in 2007. UCSF noted that there was a wide
range in the average number of deficiencies, suggesting that state
enforcement varies widely.

and much more.....

Norman DeLisle, MDRC
"With Liberty and Access for All!"
GrandCentral: 517-589-4081
MDRC Website: http://www.copower.org/
LTC Blog: http://ltcreform.blogspot.com/
Recovery: http://therecoveringlife.blogspot.com/

State of the Science: Professional Partners Supporting Family Caregiving

Most older adults who need assistance depend on family and friends as their only source of help. And because social workers and nurses are at the forefront of supporting family caregivers, and in order to better prepare professionals in these fields, the American Journal of Nursing, the AARP Foundation, the Council on Social Work Education, the Family Caregiver Alliance; and the Rutgers Center for State Health Policy hosted an invitational symposium and produced this report. Both were made possible by funding from the John A. Hartford Foundation and the Jacob and Valeria Langeloth Foundation.

Norman DeLisle, MDRC
"With Liberty and Access for All!"
GrandCentral: 517-589-4081
MDRC Website: http://www.copower.org/
LTC Blog: http://ltcreform.blogspot.com/
Recovery: http://therecoveringlife.blogspot.com/

Photos and Commentary from DUH City

Tom Olin's Photos

Wednesday, Late night arrestees return to DUH City and early morning visits to the Hill.
Tuesday, ADAPT takes the message to Congress. Photos from Skip Smith of Parsons Kansas.
Monday, Building DUHcity and McCain's office.
Sunday, ADAPT prepares for Action.

Norman DeLisle, MDRC
"With Liberty and Access for All!"
GrandCentral: 517-589-4081
MDRC Website: http://www.copower.org/
LTC Blog: http://ltcreform.blogspot.com/
Recovery: http://therecoveringlife.blogspot.com/

Video Stories of ADAPT Actions

Action at John McCain's Office
Eleven ADAPT activists are arrested attempting to get John McCain to endorse the ADAPT housing platform.
Housing Crisis
Bob Liston explains how the lack of affordable, accessible and integrated housing impacts people with disabilities.
HUD's History with ADAPT
Stephanie Thomas gives a brief summary of ADAPT actions to keep affordable, accessible and integrated housing on HUD's radar. [Link to YouTube]
A Ben Petrus Video
Full video of our ADAPT action in Virginia.

Norman DeLisle, MDRC
"With Liberty and Access for All!"
GrandCentral: 517-589-4081
MDRC Website: http://www.copower.org/
LTC Blog: http://ltcreform.blogspot.com/
Recovery: http://therecoveringlife.blogspot.com/

DUH City Times

As of this writing, DUH City Times is struggling under the impediment of having most of our reporters under arrest!  More..

10 Arrested in ADAPT Action-with names!

Police Arrest 10 Protestors
ADAPT, a disability rights group, protests at the McCain Campaign headquarters in Arlington.
http://www.connectionnewspapers.com/article.asp?article=319548&paper=68&cat=104
By David Schultz/The Connection
Tuesday, September 16, 2008

TEN PEOPLE were arrested earlier this week at the Arlin gton campaign office of Republican presidential candidate John McCain when a group of protesters gained entry to the office and refused to leave.

At approximately 1:45 p.m. on Monday afternoon, more than 40 police officers responded to a call that protestors had gained entrance to the McCain Campaign's office in Arlington, located near the Crystal City Metro Station on South Clark Street.

Randy Alexander of Memphis, Tenn., Daniese McMullin-Powell of Newark, Del., Scott Heinzmann of Livonia, Mich., Nancy Navarro of El Paso, Tex., Eileen Sable of Philadelphia, Penn., Michael McCarty of Boulder, Colo., Joyce Combs of West Allis, Wisc. and Kelly Casillas of Baxter Spring, Kan. were arrested inside the McCain office and charged with trespassing. Nancy Salandra and Stephen Gold of Philadelphia, Penn. were arrested outside of the office and charged with disorderly conduct. All ten were released on a summons to appear in court.

Congress Passes Bill With Protections for Disabled

WASHINGTON — Congress gave final approval on Wednesday to a major civil rights bill, expanding protections for people with disabilities and overturning several recent Supreme Court decisions.
The voice vote in the House, following Senate passage by unanimous consent last week, clears the bill for President Bush.
The White House said Mr. Bush would sign the bill, just as his father signed the original Americans With Disabilities Act in 1990.
The bill expands the definition of disability and makes it easier for workers to prove discrimination. It explicitly rejects the strict standards used by the Supreme Court to determine who is disabled.

Norman DeLisle, MDRC
"With Liberty and Access for All!"
GrandCentral: 517-589-4081
MDRC Website: http://www.copower.org/
LTC Blog: http://ltcreform.blogspot.com/
Recovery: http://therecoveringlife.blogspot.com/

Wednesday, September 17, 2008

Coverage of ADAPT by Market Watch

ADAPT Challenges HUD, Democrats, McCain on Disability/Housing Economic Crisis

WASHINGTON, Sept 16, 2008 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ -- ADAPT wasted no time challenging Policymakers on the housing crisis for persons with disabilities with low incomes. After setting up a tent city at HUD headquarters, ADAPT sent 100 activists to the Democratic National Committee (DNC) offices in Washington, D.C., and another hundred to a Sen. John McCain campaign office in Arlington, VA. ADAPT presented a platform for affordable, accessible housing.

"The DNC was cordial, and accepted our housing platform, and invitation to visit 'DUH City,' which is HUD spelled backwards," said Barb Toomer, Utah ADAPT. HUD told us they had no authority to make decisions. We have to wait for the administrative appointees to make any decisions. Sen. John McCain's campaign staff not only refused to even look at our housing platform, they had eleven of us arrested." More...

Study: One-on-one attention at mealtime reduces undesired weight loss

Extra attention at mealtime has been found to help reduce the occurrence of unintentional weight loss among long-stay nursing home residents, according to the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society.

Duh story of the week.

Norman DeLisle, MDRC
"With Liberty and Access for All!"
GrandCentral: 517-589-4081
MDRC Website: http://www.copower.org/
LTC Blog: http://ltcreform.blogspot.com/
Recovery: http://therecoveringlife.blogspot.com/

50 Arrested as ADAPT Takes Affordable, Accessible Housing Crisis to Congress

Washington, D.C.---From their base at "DUH City", groups of ADAPT activists fanned out on the Hill to hit congressional leaders who have responsibility to help solve the housing crisis for low income people with disabilities. Visits to the offices of Rep. Barney Frank (D, MA), a longtime leader on housing issues, and Senators Chris Dodd (D, CT) and Richard Shelby (R, AL), the Chair and ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs resulted in a total of 50 arrests.

"Our first stop was to see Rep. Barney Frank," said Diane Coleman of ADAPT in Rochester, New York. "ADAPT
has been in talks with him over the past year, and early on he told us in no uncertain terms that he could get 500 housing vouchers from HUD that would be targeted to free people with disabilities who live in nursing homes and other institutions. He repeated that promise for months, and we kept trusting his word, and then one day he suddenly says he can't help us. We were also working with him to get funding that pays for segregated housing redirected to support integrated housing and more vouchers. Sen. Frank arranged a hearing on this funding, and not only did he not invite any people with disabilities to testify, he didn't even notify us about the hearing. So, today, we decided to confront him on his broken promises and bad faith."

Shortly after 13 ADAPT members entered Franks' office, he ordered staff to have them arrested, refusing to even discuss the ADAPT concerns, or strategies to address the housing crisis for low income people with disabilities trapped in institutions for lack of affordable, accessible, integrated housing.

ADAPT went to the offices of Dodd and Shelby because HUD and housing fall under the purview of their committee. Sen. Shelby declined to work with ADAPT saying, "I don't help people who can't help themselves." There were 19 arrests made in Shelby's office. An aide to Sen. Dodd spoke with ADAPT, but declined to put her remarks on paper after indicating she might be willing to do so. ADAPT conti
nued to wait for the written statement, and eventually nearly 25 people were arrested.

"The TV is full of news about the bank crisis, and the mortgage crisis, and the need for candidates to appeal to middle income people," said Cassie James, Philadelphia ADAPT organizer. "Meanwhile, people who live on disability benefits, and people who are trapped in nursing homes because of no housing are being held hostage while the government bails everyone else out. Rent has gone up so much, it's higher than many monthly disability benefits. Not only do us younger people with disabilities need affordable, accessible housing, older people need it, too. This is a crisis, and we need help to solve it."

ADAPT has been in D.C. since September 13, erecting DUH City, a tent city, on the plaza outside HUD headquarters to bring attention to the situation of the people who have been ignored in this election year- low income people with disabilities. The crises with the economy and housing extend well beyond the middle class, but the Presidential candidates and their parties have seemingly forgotten that fact. Not so, ADAPT.

                                                                              ###Washington, D.C.---From their base at "DUH City", groups of ADAPT activists fanned out on the Hill to hit congressional leaders who have responsibility to help solve the housing crisis for low income people with disabilities. Visits to the offices of Rep. Barney Frank (D, MA), a longtime leader on housing issues, and Senators Chris Dodd (D, CT) and Richard Shelby (R, AL), the Chair and ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs resulted in a total of 50 arrests.

"Our first stop was to see Rep. Barney Frank," said Diane Coleman of ADAPT in Rochester, New York. "ADAPT
has been in talks with him over the past year, and early on he told us in no uncertain terms that he could get 500 housing vouchers from HUD that would be targeted to free people with disabilities who live in nursing homes and other institutions. He repeated that promise for months, and we kept trusting his word, and then one day he suddenly says he can't help us. We were also working with him to get funding that pays for segregated housing redirected to support integrated housing and more vouchers. Sen. Frank arranged a hearing on this funding, and not only did he not invite any people with disabilities to testify, he didn't even notify us about the hearing. So, today, we decided to confront him on his broken promises and bad faith."

Shortly after 13 ADAPT members entered Franks' office, he ordered staff to have them arrested, refusing to even discuss the ADAPT concerns, or strategies to address the housing crisis for low income people with disabilities trapped in institutions for lack of affordable, accessible, integrated housing.

ADAPT went to the offices of Dodd and Shelby because HUD and housing fall under the purview of their committee. Sen. Shelby declined to work with ADAPT saying, "I don't help people who can't help themselves." There were 19 arrests made in Shelby's office. An aide to Sen. Dodd spoke with ADAPT, but declined to put her remarks on paper after indicating she might be willing to do so. ADAPT conti
nued to wait for the written statement, and eventually nearly 25 people were arrested.

"The TV is full of news about the bank crisis, and the mortgage crisis, and the need for candidates to appeal to middle income people," said Cassie James, Philadelphia ADAPT organizer. "Meanwhile, people who live on disability benefits, and people who are trapped in nursing homes because of no housing are being held hostage while the government bails everyone else out. Rent has gone up so much, it's higher than many monthly disability benefits. Not only do us younger people with disabilities need affordable, accessible housing, older people need it, too. This is a crisis, and we need help to solve it."

ADAPT has been in D.C. since September 13, erecting DUH City, a tent city, on the plaza outside HUD headquarters to bring attention to the situation of the people who have been ignored in this election year- low income people with disabilities. The crises with the economy and housing extend well beyond the middle class, but the Presidential candidates and their parties have seemingly forgotten that fact. Not so, ADAPT.

                                                                              ###Washington, D.C.---From their base at "DUH City", groups of ADAPT activists fanned out on the Hill to hit congressional leaders who have responsibility to help solve the housing crisis for low income people with disabilities. Visits to the offices of Rep. Barney Frank (D, MA), a longtime leader on housing issues, and Senators Chris Dodd (D, CT) and Richard Shelby (R, AL), the Chair and ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs resulted in a total of 50 arrests.

"Our first stop was to see Rep. Barney Frank," said Diane Coleman of ADAPT in Rochester, New York. "ADAPT
has been in talks with him over the past year, and early on he told us in no uncertain terms that he could get 500 housing vouchers from HUD that would be targeted to free people with disabilities who live in nursing homes and other institutions. He repeated that promise for months, and we kept trusting his word, and then one day he suddenly says he can't help us. We were also working with him to get funding that pays for segregated housing redirected to support integrated housing and more vouchers. Sen. Frank arranged a hearing on this funding, and not only did he not invite any people with disabilities to testify, he didn't even notify us about the hearing. So, today, we decided to confront him on his broken promises and bad faith."

Shortly after 13 ADAPT members entered Franks' office, he ordered staff to have them arrested, refusing to even discuss the ADAPT concerns, or strategies to address the housing crisis for low income people with disabilities trapped in institutions for lack of affordable, accessible, integrated housing.

ADAPT went to the offices of Dodd and Shelby because HUD and housing fall under the purview of their committee. Sen. Shelby declined to work with ADAPT saying, "I don't help people who can't help themselves." There were 19 arrests made in Shelby's office. An aide to Sen. Dodd spoke with ADAPT, but declined to put her remarks on paper after indicating she might be willing to do so. ADAPT conti
nued to wait for the written statement, and eventually nearly 25 people were arrested.

"The TV is full of news about the bank crisis, and the mortgage crisis, and the need for candidates to appeal to middle income people," said Cassie James, Philadelphia ADAPT organizer. "Meanwhile, people who live on disability benefits, and people who are trapped in nursing homes because of no housing are being held hostage while the government bails everyone else out. Rent has gone up so much, it's higher than many monthly disability benefits. Not only do us younger people with disabilities need affordable, accessible housing, older people need it, too. This is a crisis, and we need help to solve it."

ADAPT has been in D.C. since September 13, erecting DUH City, a tent city, on the plaza outside HUD headquarters to bring attention to the situation of the people who have been ignored in this election year- low income people with disabilities. The crises with the economy and housing extend well beyond the middle class, but the Presidential candidates and their parties have seemingly forgotten that fact. Not so, ADAPT.

                                                                              ###
Norman DeLisle, MDRC
"With Liberty and Access for All!"
GrandCentral: 517-589-4081
MDRC Website: http://www.copower.org/
LTC Blog: http://ltcreform.blogspot.com/
Recovery: http://therecoveringlife.blogspot.com/

ADAPT in DC

This post will not be about my day today. I spent almost all of it sleeping. However, I can update folks abuot some stuff that went down yesterday and last night and today, while I was sleeping.

I don’t think I mentioned how, yesterday, some HUD officials came uot and asked for a meeting with ADAPT leadership, probably because we were making such a ruckus. Word is that HUD told leadership that they cuold not comply with our list of demands for the following reasons: more...

Tuesday, September 16, 2008

ADAPT in DC

Actually, I think I misread the Tweets. 19 Adapters were arrested in Sen. Dodd's office for blocking a closet with the receptionist's purse in it.

Norman DeLisle, MDRC
"With Liberty and Access for All!"
GrandCentral: 517-589-4081
MDRC Website: http://www.copower.org/
LTC Blog: http://ltcreform.blogspot.com/
Recovery: http://therecoveringlife.blogspot.com/

ADAPT in DC

Day Two had a lot of action, which is still going on. A long "escorted" march, with negotiations to go to Dodd, Frank, and Shelby Senate offices. Lots of resistence by office staff, and arrests are apparently going on now at Shelby's offices.

Norman DeLisle, MDRC
"With Liberty and Access for All!"
GrandCentral: 517-589-4081
MDRC Website: http://www.copower.org/
LTC Blog: http://ltcreform.blogspot.com/
Recovery: http://therecoveringlife.blogspot.com/

ADPAPT in DC

For a recap of day one by a Susan, go to http://www.katrinadisability.info/wordpress/?p=163

Norman DeLisle, MDRC
"With Liberty and Access for All!"
GrandCentral: 517-589-4081
MDRC Website: http://www.copower.org/
LTC Blog: http://ltcreform.blogspot.com/
Recovery: http://therecoveringlife.blogspot.com/
Change: http://prosynergypsc.blogspot.com/

ADAPT in DC

Update:

Scott Heinzman from Michigan was arrested.

Press Release for September 16th:

ADAPT Challenges HUD, Dems, McCain on Disability/Housing Economic Crisis

Washington, D.C.---ADAPT wasted no time challenging multiple policymakers on the housing crisis for persons with disabilities who have low and extremely low incomes. After setting up a tent city at HUD headquarters just after 4 a.m., ADAPT sent 100 activists to the Democratic National Committee (DNC) offices in Washington, D.C., and another hundred to a Sen. John McCain campaign office in Arlington, VA. All three entities were presented with the ADAPT platform for affordable, accessible housing.

"The DNC was cordial, and they accepted our housing platform, as well as our invitation to visit 'DUH City,' which is HUD spelled backwards," said octonagerian Barb Toomer, ADAPT organizer from Utah."The career HUD staff that met with ADAPT told our people they had no authority to make decisions and had to wait for the administration or administrative appointees to make any decisions, so the meeting felt like a waste of time. Sen. John McCain's campaign staff not only refused to even look at our housing platform, they had eleven of us arrested by police who caused injuries to at least one arrestee."

ADAPT's housing platform points to America's20longstanding and still growing crisis in the availability of affordable, accessible integrated housing. Many people with disabilities live on benefits that are only 18% of the median income, a full 25% below the poverty level, and an amount that is less than the national average rent for a studio/efficiency apartment.

"The federal government is sending stimulus payments to middle class workers, and is providing economic relief for the mortgage crisis, and maybe even the bank crisis," said Dawn Russell, Denver ADAPT. "What about all of us who live on fixed incomes? If we can't afford the cost of housing, we'll end up on the street or being forced into nursing homes and institutions. What are the federal government, Congress, and the presidential candidates going to do to help us with our housing crisis?"

In its platform, ADAPT is asking for:

· 5000 new housing vouchers per year for 10 years, targeted to people transitioning out of nursing homes and other institutions;

· Twice as much funding for the construction of new housing stock that is affordable, accessible and integrated;

· Policies and procedures to track the new vouchers to assure they remain targeted to people with disabilities when the original user becomes ineligible or no longer needs the voucher;

· People with disabilities who reside in institutional settings to be recognized as "homeless."

ADAPT's DUH City will remain in operation twenty four hours a day until Thursday, September 18. The DUH City Times will be delivered daily to every member of Congress, and there will be daily DUH TV coverage on You Tube. Background information, real stories of real people and photos can all be accessed atwww.duhcity.org.