Newsletter

April 2009

1. Please join us at our next statewide meeting on Saturday, May 9, 2009 from 10:30-2:30 at the Library of Michigan Lake Superior Room, 717 West Allegan, Lansing. We will be revising our legislative priorities for the new state legislature and planning our Campaign Day at the Capitol as well pursuing several other advocacy issues. We love to welcome new members and see old friends! If you plan to attend, please RSVP to Alison Hirschel at hirschel@umich.edu or 517-324-5754 by May7, 2009. Or plan to join us at our August meeting: Saturday, August 8, same time and place. We need you to be part of our plans and discussions! Join us!

2. Campaign finalizes its "Assisted Living Disclosure Form" and will distribute it widely to help consumers choose assisted living facilities–Thanks to a wonderful idea from the family of Mildred Hadley, an assisted living facility resident who died tragically when she wandered out of her facility unnoticed and froze to death, the Campaign has drafted an Assisted Living Disclosure Form (attached to this newsletter). This form will help consumers compare Assisted Living facilities and determine if a particular facility meets their needs. We’ve included a broad range of questions on facility services, staffing, training, fees, grievance and discharge policies and quality of life in the facility. Some questions might help identify issues that families are not initially aware of – such as is if the facility is licensed, if the staff on duty at night are awake, or if the facility is air conditioned or has a sprinkler system in case of fire.

The Campaign plans to distribute this form to Area Agencies on Aging, Long Term Care Connection offices, legislators, and others and has asked the Michigan Assisted Living Association to work with us to encourage assisted living facilities to complete the form. We have already received very positive feedback from AARP, the State Long Term Care Ombudsman Program, and other organizations. The form is attached and we encourage members to copy it and distribute it widely. If you can assist us with printing, mailing, and identifying organizations that would be able to share this important disclosure form with consumers, please contact Alison Hirschel at hirschel@lsscm.org or 517-324-5754. The Campaign has no paid staff or office equipment, and only a tiny budget, so we will greatly appreciate all offers of help with this effort!!

3. Advocacy still required on Fiscal Year 2010 State Budget– -As we reported in our last newsletter, the Governor’s proposed budget for FY 2010 (beginning October 1, 2009) includes a substantial increase in funding for MiChoice Home and Community Based Waiver Services, the program that provides nursing home level of care services to people in their own homes. The additional funding should ensure services are provided more promptly to many of the approximately 4200 people across the state who are on the waiting list for MiChoice. In addition, the Governor has proposed continued funding for Nursing Home Transitions, the program that assists nursing home residents in returning to the community with the supports and services they need. The House Appropriations Subcommittee on funding for the Department of Community Health agreed with the Governor’s recommendation about MiChoice, but this budget will has not yet been approved by the full House of Representatives and will now be considered by the Michigan Senate.

Unfortunately, the Governor’s proposed budget also contained some bad news for long term care consumers. As noted in our last newsletter, The Governor proposed a $2.2 million cut in services funded by the Office of Services to the Aging including in-home services, care management, congregate meals, home delivered meals, and other programs. The House Appropriations Subcommittee recommended restoring most of this funding, but this issue will now be considered by the Michigan Senate.

Finally, the Campaign supports:

˜ Increased funding for the Bureau of Health Systems to hire enough nursing home complaint investigators so that the Bureau can complete prompt and thorough investigations of serious complaints;

˜ Increased funding for the Department of Human Services to provide additional staffing in the area of eligibility specialists who process applications for Medicaid and other public benefits and Adult Services, including Adult Protective Services and Home Help. These workers currently have crushing caseloads that makes it impossible for them to complete their work in a timely and appropriate manner; and

˜ Continued funding for the Long Term Care Connection demonstration programs in Detroit, Southwest Michigan, Western Michigan, and the Upper Peninsula (these agencies provide one stop shopping for long term care consumers who need unbiased information about their options, available programs, eligibility requirements for supports and services, etc.).

4. Campaign Mourns the Loss and Celebrates the Life of Former Representative and Campaign Champion Aldo Vagnozzi – The Campaign was deeply saddened to learn recently of the death of former Democratic State Representative Aldo Vagnozzi. Rep. Vagnozzi served three terms in the legislature and left office due to term limits last year. He was chair of the Southeast Michigan Chapter of the Michigan Campaign for Quality Care before becoming a state representative and was also a former mayor and City Council member in Farmington Hills as well as a World War II veteran. Rep. Vagnozzi cared deeply about people and brought charm, candor, humor, civility, passion and warmth to every endeavor. He was known for his wide smiles and big bear hugs and he championed the Campaign’s issues with the same energy he unleashed on everything he cared about. When some questioned whether he was too old to serve as a state representative, the irrepressible Aldo walked the seventy miles from Farmington Hills to Lansing to show just how fit he was! And he logged hundreds of miles walking to each of the 15,000 homes in his district during each campaign. The Campaign sends condolences to Aldo’s family and is grateful for our long relationship with this remarkable man.

5. Future of the Office of Long Term Care Supports and Services remains uncertain–Advocacy is still needed with the Governor’s Office and the Department of Community Health to assure a strong future for the Office of Long Term Care Supports and Services. The Governor has eliminated the Office – which coordinates long term care policy for the state – effective Oct. 1, 2009. Department of Community Health (DCH) Director Janet Olszewski has stated repeatedly that the Administration remains committed to long term care and that the office will be integrated into DCH. The Campaign believes strongly that:

˜ The Office of Long Term Care Supports and Services must retain strong leadership to ensure continued progress toward long term care reform (including improving quality in all long term care settings and ensuring consumers have access to a broad array of services and supports);

˜ The Office staff should be housed together wherever they are moved in DCH instead of being dispersed among different units of the Department.

˜ The Office should continue its tradition of seeking significant consumer involvement in policy and program development and should remain transparent and accountable to consumers.

6. The Campaign thanks its recent generous donors! The Campaign has received a matching donation from Pfizer. Thank you Jean Schults for using the matching donation program and thank you Pfizer. Please continue to send your tax deductible donations to: the Michigan Campaign for Quality Care, c/o Paul van Westrienen, Treasurer, 359 Park Ave., Parchment, MI 49004.