|
1. History of Long Road Home (LRH) 2. 5,774 Georgians want out of nursing homes 3. Press Release for LRH III, 2006, Get Us Out, Keep Us Out, Don't Put Us In 4. Schedule for June 21-22, 2006 5. Flyer for Cartersville, June 22nd 6. Special Guest 7. Information about LRH '04 and '05 8. Information about Money Follows the Person (MFP) 9. Related Advocacy 10. Related News 11. President Bush 12. Remarks from CMS 13. To Make a Donation 1. History of Long Road Home (LRH) The Olmstead Decision of 1999 http://www.atlantalegalaid.org/impact.htm was a landmark Supreme Court decision ordering the states to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act by providing services to people with disabilities in the least restrictive environment. Three years ago advocates from around Georgia organized the LRH, a march and caravan to demonstrate the lack of community-based services. We vowed to march until we have full compliance of Olmstead in Georgia. We are determined to rid Georgia of the institutional bias.
2. 5,774 Georgians Go to the bottom of this link, select MDS Q1a Report, Submit, then select Report Date and Submit, http://www1.cms.hhs.gov/apps/mds/default.asp 3. Press Release The Long Road Home III For more information contact: Kate Gainer at (404-)687-8890 x 115 or 404-247-3945. Georgia Disability Advocates plan this year’s Olmstead celebration around three areas of tremendous need - 1) the Children’s Freedom Initiative, 2) Money Follows the Person, and 3) a Starvation Dehydration Prevention Act to protect people with disabilities from that nightmare scenario that Terri Schiavo was forced to endure. The Children’s Freedom Initiative Families are being reunited with their children as Georgia implements the Children's Freedom Initiative. This program came about as a joint venture of the Georgia Advocacy Office, the Governor's Council on Developmental Disabilities, and the Institute on Human Development and Disability at the University of Georgia. The program aims to free virtually all children with mental retardation and other developmental disabilities currently confined in Georgia institutions. This year, state lawmakers set aside 45 Medicaid waivers for developmentally disabled children, to help provide them with community services. These waivers allow Medicaid money intended for institutional care to be redirected to community and home services. State officials confirm that Georgia which has 5,800 emotionally disturbed or disabled children in state institutions lags grossly behind the national average when it comes to providing community-based mental health services for children. The average cost to keep these children in state run institutions is anywhere from $100-$300 dollars a day. State officials admonish that it is "cheaper in the long run to care for these children at home, as it relieves the state of facility and staffing costs." Money Follows the Person Too often people with disabilities of all ages, wind up having to go to a nursing home or other institution because either no one informed them about community based support services, or the waiting lists were too long for them to receive services in the community. However, by listening to people with disabilities, the government has finally figured out how to provide community services without additional constraint to the budget. The money that pays for a person's services in the nursing home or other institution can instead be used to pay for services in the community, hence the name Money Follows the Person. In 2007, under the federal Money Follows the Person initiative, states can apply to CMS (the federal Medicaid agency) to receive a better federal match (FMAP) for this initiative. Over the course of the next five years, about 40 states will be selected to receive a better federal match (FMAP). Using Money Follows the Person, for the first year a person moves out onto community services the federal government will cover a higher percent of the cost of their services and states will pay a smaller portion. After that first year the match rate will return to the regular rate, but even this can save the state money. Georgia ADAPT wants to alert our Governor and challenge him to take full advantage of this initiative and apply with CMS as soon as possible so that our state can reap the rewards of a better matching federal rate. Starvation/Dehydration Prevention Act This year marked the first anniversary of the judicial murder of Terri Schindler Schiavo. Advocates across the nation were horrified at the treatment our nation forced Terri to endure. Georgia ADAPT wants to protect people with disabilities in this state and across the nation from such a similar scenario unfolding here. We have been instrumental in working with Senator Nancy Schaefer, who just a few months back introduced SR. 1067 - A Resolution creating a Senate Study Committee on the Prevention of the Starvation and Dehydration of Persons with Disabilities. We would like to follow-up this next legislative season with legislation to protect Georgians with disabilities from ever having to endure such cruel and inhumane treatment such as starvation/dehydration. There is an increasing movement among the bioethicists in our nation to expand ‘back-door’ euthanasia practices in our nation’s hospitals, hospices, nursing homes, and institutions as not only a way to remove the medically expensive, but also as a way of increasing the population of people which can be harvested for their organs. The bioethics movement in our country threatens the lives of all Americans especially those born pre-mature, disabled, or medically fragile. They seem determined to kill many classes of individuals against our own will. This is why it is imperative that Georgia become the second state in our nation to protect people from the bioethics agenda. For more information on how you can join us for the Long Road Home III, call Kate Gainer at 404-687-8890 x 115 or email her at ngainer@msn.com. 4. Schedule of Events
JUNE 21st -12:30-1:30, Check In, Best Western Inn Suites of Cartersville, 5663 Highway 20 NE, Cartersville, GA 30121, 770-386-1569 -2-3, Caravan to Northwest Georgia Regional Hospital, 1305 Redmond Circle, N.W, Rome, Georgia 30161, 706-295-6011 -3-5, March through gates & visit Hospital, Pavilion, Building 100 -5-6, Caravan to The Forum, http://forumevents.org/Directions.htm -6-8, Dinner (local guests and Marchers only), hosted by disABILITYLINK, NW, 706-314-0008 -8:30-9:30, Vigil, meet at LINK between 8 & 8:30 -9:30-10:30, Caravan to Best Western 22nd -Breakfast, Hotel -10:00-11:00, Caravan to American Legion, 1 Roosevelt Street, Cartersville, corner of Roosevelt and MLK Jr. -11:00-Noon, March to Starcrest of Cartersville Nursing Home -Noon-12:30, Press Conference, Starcrest, 196 N Dixie Ave, Cartersville, GA 30120 -1-3, Lunch & Caravan to Underground, directions at, http://www.underground-atlanta.com/HTML42.phtml -3-4, Press Conference on Home and Community Based Services (HCBS), Underground, Kenny's Alley, Atlanta Join us for one or more segments. It will be fun and empowering. And you will be making a difference in the lives of people with disabilities. 5. Cartersville Flyer YOU'RE INVITED
Long Road Home coming to Cartersville WHAT: Celebration of the 7th Anniversary of the Olmstead v. LC and EW Landmark Case Lois Curtis and Elaine Wilson, two women with disabilities who lived in Georgia nursing homes, asked State officials to allow them to move into their own homes in the community. After the State's refusal, Atlanta Legal Aid attorney, Susan Jamieson filed a lawsuit on behalf of Ms.Wilson and Ms.Curtis. In the lawsuit, they again sought to have the State of Georgia allow the two nursing home residents to live in the community. After appeals, the case was heard by the U. S. Supreme Court. In July 1999, the Supreme Court issued the Olmstead v. L.C. decision. The Court ruled that there should be community options for Ms.Curtis and Ms.Wilson. WHEN: Thursday, June 22nd, 11:30-12:30 WHERE: -11:00 AM, Caravan Arrives, American Legion, 1 Roosevelt Street -11:30-Noon, March, MLK Jr. to Dixie, South on Dixie to 196 North Dixie Ave. -12:30, Brief Press Conference -1PM, Depart for Atlanta Advocates with and without disabilities from Bartow and Floyd counties are participating in this year's event. JOIN them and other advocates from around the state and MAKE a DIFFERENCE It’ll be fun and empowering. Information about the -Olmstead Case at http://www.atlantalegalaid.org/impact.htm -5,774 Georgians who want out of nursing homes at http://www.cms.hhs.gov/apps/mds/default.asp, go to the bottom of the page, select MDS Q1a Report, Submit, then select Report Date and Submit. Additional information about the Long Road Home at http://www.lgtinc.org/authors/12/Kate-Gainer PLEASE SHOW YOUR SUPPORT 6. Special Guest This year, we'll be joined by Sarah Watkins, http://www.adaptingthesystem.blogspot.com/ 7. LRH, 2004 and 2005 DVDs of LRH I & II, both 4 day celebrations, can be purchased from LRH, contact Kate, ngainer@msn.com. Proceeds support the 2006 and future celebrations. 8. MFP Go to http://www.ancor.org/issues/medicaid/medicaid_dra.html , click on CMS DRA, March 31, 2006 9. Related Advocacy -ADAPT, http://www.adapt.org -Unlock the Waiting List http://www.unlockthewaitinglists.com/index.html 10. Related News -On June 26nd, Abel Ortiz, aortiz@gov.state.ga.us, and DCH are having a meeting on Money Follows the Person (MFP), http://www.aucd.org/aucd_medicaid.htm#DRA -On June 30th, DCH is hosting a Redesigning Medicaid LTC Summit at the Loudermilk Center, http://www.loudermilkcenter.com/map.html Commissioner Rhonda Medows and the Georgia Department of Community Health are pleased to host "A Call to Action: Redesigning Medicaid Long Term Care," on Friday, June 30, 2006 at the Loudermilk Center. This summit will bring together key stakeholders to explore new opportunities for Medicaid Long Term Care in Georgia provided under the federal Deficit Reduction Act (DRA). Attendees will hear about Georgia’s current system for long term care, new opportunities under DRA, and innovative reform initiatives in other states. The morning session is open to the public. To Register http://dch.georgia.gov/00/channel_title/0,2094,31446711_55747859,00.html 11. Executive Order http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2001/06/20010619.html 12. Remarks http://www.cms.hhs.gov/apps/media/press/speech.asp?Counter=1881 ... We don't have an excuse. It is time for every person on Medicaid to have the opportunity to choose the care that they prefer. .. It's a privilege to join you today, as we honor some people who have made real contributions to your mission-creating a world in which people with a disability can participate fully. It's especially an honor to be invited back to this conference, where the theme is Ending Institutional Bias, because right now we have some unprecedented opportunities to do it. Each time I've talked with you in the past, we've focused on this goal. We've talked about progress, about pilot projects, and on what new legislation and new Federal funding it would take to get us there. This year it's different-after years of working to pass Money Follows the Person, we've passed new legislation. I'd like to thank all of you who have worked so hard with us for so long to make it happen. I want to thank you for all the conference calls and updates, for all the work with Hill staff and members. You made sure that this key reform made it into the Conference Report of the Deficit Reduction Act in a meaningful way. Now, as a result of your efforts, we have a new law. It has been an honor, a privilege and a uniquely rewarding experience working with all of you on this. It's been one of the best experiences I've had in government. I also want to give a special word of thanks to the staff at CMS in the Disabled and Elderly Health Programs Group, and to others in the federal government for their tremendous efforts-this public-private collaboration has been truly impressive. Now I'll tell you what we don't have any more: We don't have an excuse. It is time for every person on Medicaid to have the opportunity to choose the care that they prefer.We also don't have time to waste. So today, I am going to talk about some of the reforms that are available now, and how we can work together to take advantage of them. 13. To Make a Donation Make checks payable to: People First of Atlanta Mail to: disABILITY LINK
755 Commerce Drive, Suite 415
Decatur, GA 30030 http://www.disabilitylink.org/
| 
Nellie Kate Gainer is the Advocacy Coordinator at disABILITY LINK. Kate is the former Disability Initiative Coordinator for CityCares. Kate is a former information specialist and minority outreach coordinator for the Southeast Disability and Business Technical Assistance Center. Kate is a former Disability Affairs Coordinator in the Mayorâs Office for the City of Atlanta. She is a member of several disability related organizations including ADAPT, People First of Atlanta
full story
printer version