Tip:
Highlight text to annotate it
X
Hello, I am Shanna Hiles and this TRIPIL news. Thank you for joining us.
Our first story today is on the ongoing civil rights movement for people with disabilities in Pennsylvania.
for people with disabilities in Pennsylvania.
On February 18th a group of western Pennsylvanians with disabilities, delivered a New Bill of Rights
to the new Pennsylvania governor Tom Corbett in Harrisburg.
This Disabled Bill of Rights outlined 12 basic rights
that were being denied to people with disabilities
The group read the 12 rights to the Governor’s Office and explained how important each one was to the people of Pennsylvania.
The Governor’s spokesperson, John Callahan
information very seriously and said that the Governor would work to bring about needed changes.
This group promised him that they would be back to make sure he did.
If you would like more information on how you can help make your town
a safer and more accessible place for people with disabilities,
please seek out your nearest center for independent living and ask about opportunities in your region.
In other state news, recent changes by the office of long term living
have forced service providers across the state to change the way the can assist people
receiving attendant care
Because of these changes TRIPIL services will no longer be able to provide care
the way they have done so in the past.
Here to find out more about the recent changes
to service plans is Deb Holden.
Hi, I’m Deb Holden.
I am here today talking with Michelle Shumar, the Deputy Director of TRIPIL Services,
Michelle Loar, an Independent Living Specialist,
and Diana Kemp, a Service Coordinator.
Michelle Shumar, I understand that there are some changes taking place in regards to the Agency/Consumer model programs.
Could you elaborate on some of those changes and why they are needed?
Yes, I can, Deb.
Effective January 1, 2011, the policy makers in the Office of Long Term Living in Harrisburg,
PA has forced us to change the way we do business by
but considering the consumer employer model the same as services my way.
Services my way is a program that's been around for a year or so and it is simply pay role service.
This results in most of our services not being covered
agency model consumers are not affected by change
In the past TRIPIL services rarely provided agency model programs even though we could increase
our revenue and avoid this issue
this action by the Office of Long Term Living promotes the more expensive agency model of service
limits consumer control and perpetuates an institutional bias 0:03:32.039, 0:03:34.579 Diana, you are a Service Coordinator for TRIPIL.
Recently, there have been changes to the annual recertification process for waiver services
that requires the participant to provide a great deal of personal information.
What type of feedback are you receiving from the program participants that you work with?
In terms of a consumer assessment, there is a tool that requires the participant to provide a great deal of personal information.
The tool, called Care Management Instrument, or CMI,
demands much more personal information about the consumer than was required by OLTL in the past.
Our consumers are finding the requests for information as invasive.
Requests about the consumer attendant’s income and the value of the consumer’s property are two such examples.
Consumers are also concerned about their privacy and personal information
being preserved in OLTL’s database.
This is an issue because many individuals within OLTL have access to this information.
Thank You Deb.
On Thursday April 14 Tri County Patriots for Independent Living will be having an important membership meeting.
The meeting will begin at 11am and will include a lunch for all 2011 members.
The meeting will include a vote on changes to the by-laws allowing for a new class of members.
This change would be used to help fund special projects with business in the area.
Also at the meeting, there will be speaker from Three Rivers Adaptive Sports.
Kelly Dominick will be talking about the challenges she has faced and overcame to achieve her goals.
If you have not updated your membership it is not too late.
Membership forms will be available to you at the meeting,
just be sure to bring your two dollars to activate your membership and to take part in the event. 0:09:21.420, 0:09:27.810 And now we like to share a Nursing Home Transition success story.
Rich DeLuca was trapped in a nursing home for 3 years,
but with a belief in himself and by never taking no for answer
he was able to find the Independence he was looking for. The Battles are not over yet as each day brings
new struggles but at least now he is free to achieve them in his own home.
Here Is Rich in his own words....
What started to be a normal day turned into an event that would/has changed my life.
On 6-14-08 a drunken driver, blinded by the rising morning sun struck my parked car.
This 26 year old individual is now serving a 20 year sentence.
Funny how life works out, he gets 20 years and I got life.
My traumatic brain/head injury has left me partially paralyzed with a slow but not impossible recovery.
Due to constraining issues my family put me in a nursing home to better care for my special needs.
While there, I participated in all of the therapy offered but the format was not acceptable to my unique type of injury.
This Nursing Home is designed as a final destination, not a rehab facility.
I was not pleased with the type of environment as I developed an attitude of not giving in.
These feelings grew to a never give up or quit attitude.
Two years into my prison stay, I met a gentleman from TRIPIL who convinced me there was another way to live.
I took him up on an offer for a road trip to the TRIPIL office/café.
Long story short… I instantly fell in love.
Short and simple, they offered a concept of being independent with having a disability.
Upon further visits and getting to know the attendees & staff,
I soon learned a catch phrase that felt true to my own heart “Set our People Free”. I totally understood.
I now live on my own in an apartment complex miles away from that Nursing Home.
I receive attendant care through-out my day along with some much needed therapy.
With each day that passes, I know find new ways of regaining what was once lost.
The folks from these groups have given me hope to face whatever challenges life has to offer.
Thank you for joining us. I am Shanna Hiles and I Am Living Well!