In This Issue
- SPOTLIGHT: GOLDEN GAMES!
- SAVE THE DATE! CARIE’s Annual Fundraising Event to be held on April 20, 2016!
- UPDATES: CARIE consults on national medical research
- FOCUS ON . . . CARIE LINE
- MAKING A DIFFERENCE: Ms. Marie Penn
- THE ADVOCATE’S VOICE: CARIE and Aging Policy
CARIE’S GOLDEN GAMES!
September 16th was the date, Carousel House in Fairmount Park was the place, for the 27th annual CARIE Golden Games. The Games, organized by CARIE’s Long Term Care Ombudsman Program staff brought together older adults in nursing homes and LIFE programs throughout Philadelphia to participate in a wonderful day of individual and team events. Competition was keen and spirits ran high as teams competed in seven Olympic-style events including wheelchair and walker races, volleyball toss, and relays. Elders and staff cheered on their teammates as they vied for the honor of bringing home the Golden Games trophy at the end of the day. Congratulations to 1st place trophy winner Bala Nursing Home, to 2nd Place trophy winner Fairmount Long Term Care and to all the enthusiastic participants! Adding to the day’s enjoyment was a delicious lunch from Tootsie’s Salad Express of Reading Terminal Market and entertainment by the incomparable Jimmy Wells who had everyone dancing and singing along. We are very grateful to UGI/Amerigas, AARP, UU Outreach Program and very generous individual donors as well as a wonderful group of volunteers who helped to make the day so memorable. Thank you!
MARK APRIL 20TH ON YOUR CALENDAR FOR A FUN-FILLED EVENING SUPPORTING CARIE!
SAVE THE DATE! Plan to join us for an wonderful evening of food, drink and great company on April 20, 2016 at WHYY Civic Space while supporting CARIE and the work we do throughout the year to help ensure independence and quality of life for older adults. The evening will include both silent and live auctions, with a terrific array of items to bid on including fabulous vacations, artwork, cultural events, gift certificates to wonderful restaurants, sports tickets, overnight hotel stays, and much, much more! Watch for updates. We look forward to seeing you on April 20th.
CARIE CONSULTS ON PCORI-FUNDED MULTI-CENTERED MEDICAL RESEARCH PROJECT
CARIE has been asked to participate as a community partner on a multi-centered medical research project investigating the use of local rather than general anesthesia for older adults undergoing surgery after hip fracture. Mark Neuman, MD, an anesthesiologist on the faculty of the Perelman College of Medicine of the University of Pennsylvania, is the project’s principal investigator. Dr. Neuman has previously worked with CARIE, initially during the two years he served as a Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Scholar at Penn’s medical school. CARIE will consult on community outreach, recruitment, focus groups and ongoing patient support for the research project. The project is funded through the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI), a non-governmental entity established under the Affordable Care Act with the goal of determining which of the many healthcare options available to patients and those who care for them work best in particular circumstances. We are thrilled and honored to be contributing to this important research.
FOCUS ON . . . THE CARIE LINE
The CARIE LINE is CARIE’s oldest and most widely used program. Regarded as one of the region’s leading resources for elders and their caregivers, the CARIE LINE provides advocacy, options-counseling, education and referrals to help elders secure needed services and supports so that they may enjoy the highest quality of life and greatest independence possible for as long as possible. In contrast to most aging services organizations, the CARIE LINE offers assistance with any type of problem an elder or caregiver may be facing. No issue is outside of our concern or beyond our effort to help.CARIE’s client focus is evident from the first contact, when the telephone is answered by a person rather than a digital prompt. CARIE LINE Advocates work with clients for as long as needed to help them understand their options, choose the best option, and be more prepared to advocate on their own behalf within the aging and social services systems. CARIE LINE staff and volunteers also inform older adults, caregivers and professionals about issues and resources related to the concerns of older persons through community education and outreach presentations. You can reach the CARIE LINE by telephone during business hours at 215.545.5728 or toll free at 800.356.3606 or reach us via CARIE onLINE anytime. Learn more about theCARIE LINE and getting help for yourself or your older loved one.
MAKING A DIFFERENCE: MS. MARIE PENN
For Marie Penn who suffered a stroke at age 45, SEPTA’s Paratransit Program provided the transportation that was essential for getting to activities and appointments. When Ms. Penn turned 65 she was required to apply for the Shared Ride Program serving older Pennsylvanians in order to continue to receive transportation services. “I didn’t realize that my home aide hadn’t completed and submitted the application so I couldn’t schedule rides, even to the grocery store. And then they wouldn’t sign me up because I had no proof of age, such as a birth certificate. I didn’t know what to do so I reached out to CARIE and asked for help.” Despite encountering one bureaucratic roadblock after another, CARIE LINE staff continued to advocate in behalf of Ms. Penn until SEPTA agreed to reconsider her application. It was approved! Now, with access to the Shared Ride Program, Ms. Penn is once again able to leave her apartment to do her own shopping, take care of errands, keep appointments, and participate in social and community life with her friends and neighbors. Access to transportation has been key to supporting the independence and community engagement that mean so much to her. “Without CARIE’s tenacity and dogged determination, who knows how long my application would have just sat there? I’m really so happy that CARIE was here to help me!”
POLICY MATTERS: THE ADVOCATE’S VOICE
CARIE submitted formal comments in response to major changes proposed by Governor Wolf’s administration for the delivery of long term care in Pennsylvania. In short, the proposal will eliminate the current Waiver system, including the Aging Waiver program under which home and community-based services are made available to low-income, nursing home eligible elders, and replace it with a Managed Long Term Services and Supports (MLTSS) system. Under the proposed MLTSS program, it is expected that private insurance companies will receive capitated payments to manage the provision of health and other services to Pennsylvania’s Medicaid recipients. Among various concerns, CARIE’s comments stressed that the Administration must allow more time before implementation to afford a meaningful opportunity for input from community stakeholders as the program continues to be developed and finalized. Learn more about Pennsylvania’s MLTSS program by viewing CARIE’s June 30th webinar, “Pennsylvania’s MLTSS Proposal: Key Considerations for Advocates“, featuring Eric Carlson, Esq., Directing Attorney at Justice in Aging, and accessing the webinar slides. We also have a consumer flyer explaining the key points of MLTSS that you can distribute to older adults and caregivers in your network. Sign up to receive the CARIE Connection, CARIE’s monthly newsletter informing you about public policy developments affecting older adults.
THE CENTER FOR ADVOCACY FOR THE RIGHTS AND INTERESTS OF THE ELDERLY (CARIE)
CARIE is a Philadelphia-based 501(c)(3) non-profit organization whose mission is to improve the well-being, rights and autonomy of older adults through advocacy, education and action. CARIE operates on two levels, providing advocacy and assistance to individual elders and their caregivers to help ensure the highest quality of life and greatest independence possible. Information about gaps and barriers to accessing needed services and supports gained through our work with individual clients informs our policy advocacy in behalf of older adults throughout the region and across Pennsylvania and beyond. Please Support CARIE!
