People with disabilities in the arts and business

Self-Advocacy Solutions of North Dakota and Love Is Sharing The Exceptional Needs (L.I.S.T.E.N.) have put on an adaptation of the Wizard of Oz featuring the personal stories of its performers, all people with disabilities.

Meanwhile, Danish companies have begun realizing the benefits of hiring people with disabilities; an accellerator program, Sociale Kapitolfund, has invested in 22 companies, and shows no signs of slowing. Hopefully other countries will take note of the successes enjoyed by Denmark and model similar programs.

Patterson Nutrition Site beware! (rejoice?)

Jordan Grooms, Information and Assistance Specialist, will be visiting Lawton's Patterson Nutrition Site Wednesday, April 29th. She will be talking about ASCOG, its services, and upcoming events. Be sure to call ahead to reserve a meal! Patterson's phone number is 580-581-3485.

Dementia and decisions

While 78-year-old Henry Rayhons was acquitted of raping his wife who had dementia, the publicity of the case has raised questions about dementia and consent, as well as questions of policy for long-term care facilities. (Please note that in NPR's article, Dr. Tenenbaum's hypothetical scenario would constitute rape by fraud, which is defined as criminal on a state-by-state basis.)

An issue just as divisive as the above concerns dementia and death with dignity. Assisted suicide is already controversial and illegal in some states; when complying with an advance directive would force someone's caregivers into the role of assistant, there are few right answers.

House Bill 1566

A set of bills in Oklahoma's House and Senate - Senate Bill 640, Senate Bill 752, and House Bill 1566 - are proposing to radically change the way that Medicaid is administered in Oklahoma. In the case of HB 1566, it would privatize Medicaid's managed care programs.

According to Rep. McReady, one of the authors of the bills, HB 1566 will reduce the cost of supporting the aged and disabled population, who require the most care of the population. The Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs has indicated its support of Medicaid reforms, as has the Oklahoma Hospitals Association.

Meanwhile, Trish Emig, chair of the State Council on Aging, holds that HB 1566 will force Oklahomans into nursing homes without reducing costs for the state. The Oklahoma Public Employees Association agrees with this assessment.

Diabetes, dementia, and depression

A new study has connected snoring (and other forms of sleep apnea) to an earlier onset of mild cognitive impairment and memory problems. These can sometimes progress to Alzheimer's, but not always. Most significantly, the researcher notes that use of a CPAP machine prevents that early onset.

There is also another study that attributes depression, as well as diabetes, to the onset of dementia. Depression in particular, according to the study, raises the risk of dementia by 83%. Those familiar with depression's effects on the brain will be unsurprised to hear this; depression is often linked to other chronic health conditions, including diabetes and heart disease.

Social Security and Medicare numbers

A new federal law will strip Social Security numbers off of Medicare cards. The new rules are part of the new "Medicare Doc Fix." At least one commenter has taken the opportunity to suggest that Social Security numbers be done away with entirely.

Medicare and nursing homes

The New York Times reports that Medicare's coverage of short-term care rather than long-term care, combined with hospitals' new tendency to release patients sooner than recommended in order to cut costs, has contributed to a situation where neither long-term care nor short-term care nursing home residents are getting the care they need.

The Hebrew Home at Riverdale takes a queue from Adam Sandler in their program to make good-morning videos for their Alzheimer's and dementia patients, featuring loved ones.

Oklahoma and Medicare mental health

Oklahoma's mental health commissioner, Terri White, called for a $10 million increase in state appropriations to her agency.

For those who have Medicare, some outpatient and inpatient mental health services are covered. Outpatient services are covered under part B; inpatient services are covered under part A.

Heartline's Senior Info Line responders are trained to answer the Suicide Hotline and can find you some help or just a neutral ear. For more information call 1-800 211-2116.

Masonic Grant: CLOSED

"You won't understand the Masonic grant until you do it," everyone told me.

Everyone was right. Hundreds of applications later, I have clawed my way out of the stack to tell you that the grant is closed and no longer accepting routine applications. (It actually closed in March, according to deadlines.) People in dire straits (aka 'exceptional circumstances') can still apply for urgent situations, but everybody else has to wait until the next grant cycle. I won't hang on to people's applications until then, because I did that last year and it didn't end well.

In Medicare news! The Senate has approved a bill that changes how Medicare pays doctors. Apparently doctors will now be paid according to the quality of their service, not the quantity of it. Community health centers also recieved more funding, yay! And the Children's Health Insurance Program was extended by two years, which: excellent. According to Medicare Watch, "the bill also permanently funds the Qualified Individual (QI) program that helps low-income Medicare beneficiaries afford Part B premiums." (Oh, yeah, and it also approved our funding for the next couple of years as well.)