A Barrier-Free Northwest Missouri Serving Since 1994
Spring 2016 Volume 8 Issue 1 Chair
Dr. Robert Bush
messenger
Vice-Chair
Jaren Pippitt Secretary
Wayne Crawford Treasurer
Kent Allen
MERIL Adds New Assistive Technology Demonstration Center By Paul Bergonzoni Director of Community Access MERIL was recently selected by Missouri Assistive Technology to become a demonstration site. Equipment was delivered and training was provided to several MERIL employees in December and the demonstration center is now up and running. Selecting equipment can be confusing and overwhelming. MERIL will assist by providing hands on training with devices and software. This will make it easier for those who may benefit from assistive technology to make informed decisions and better understand how to use available technology. The assistive technology, low vision equipment, and TAP telephones MERIL offers are all located in one convenient “Tech Center� at MERIL. If you would like to know more about how this technology can empower you to live life fully, call or come by to check it out! *MERIL will be showing some equipment at our booth during the Better Living 4U event at the St. Joseph Civic Arena on Saturday, April 30th See pages 5 - 7 for more details*
Volunteer Kim Hubbard demonstrates Zoom Text magnification software to Barbara Meredith. This is helpful for people with low vision using a computer.
Members
Kent Ahrens Dr. Susan Bashinski Rebecca Lawrence Dr. Terry Robertson Acting Chief Executive Officer
Steve Bartlett
A Calendar of Events appears on our website. Please check this calendar frequently for meeting dates and special activities. www.meril.org
Did you know...
Page 2
Requesting an interpreter is easy as 1,2,3! Just contact Bridge Interpreting using any of these methods: 1. Give us a call (24 hours a day/seven days a week) at 816.244.0834 2. Email us at interpreters@meril.org 3. Request an interpreter online at: http://meril.org/services/interpreters
Don’t forget... Consumer Directed Services May Be What You Need Are you, or someone you know, in need of assistance with cleaning, cooking, shopping, non-medical transportation or other daily personal care needs due to a serious illness, injury or the natural aging process? Consumer Directed Services (CDS) provides an opportunity for you to be an employer and choose your own caregiver (attendant), direct how services are delivered to you, and structure the times that you receive care to meet your individual independent living needs. The CDS program maximizes your choice and allows you to interview, hire, and train your attendant. Eligibility is determined by the Department of Health and Senior Services (DHSS) based on the following criteria: 18 years of age or older Ability to direct your own care Capable of living independently with Consumer Directed Services Presence of a physical disability Require a nursing facility level of care Missouri HealthNet (Medicaid) eligible An individualized assessment completed by DHSS will determine eligibility for the program and identify personal assistance services appropriate for your needs. A Community Independent Living Specialist will be assigned to you to provide information, assist with goal setting and identifying unmet needs, and monitoring to ensure services are being provided according to the plan of care. They can also assist in locating an attendant if requested. MERIL provides Consumer Directed Services in the following counties: Andrew, Atchison, Buchanan, Clinton, DeKalb, Gentry, Holt, Nodaway and Worth. For more information contact MERIL 816.279.8558 or 800.637.4548.
Spring 2016
Page 3
(Be sure to check our website for updates and details at http://meril.org/news-events/calendar-of-events)
April 7 9 14 19 21 26 30
Thu Sat Thu Tue Thu Tue Sat
Transition Skills Day - Maryville Show Me Resources Fair - Cameron YMCA (see page 9) People First Support Group Meeting St. Joseph Employment Coalition Career & Resource Fair - Civic Arena TBI Support Group Meeting - NWMO Brain Injury Association People First Support Group Meeting - Maryville Chapter Better Living 4U (see pages 5 - 7)
May 12 17 19 30
Thu Tue Thu Mon
People First Support Group Meeting People First Support Group Meeting - Maryville Chapter TBI Support Group Meeting - NWMO Brain Injury Association All MERIL Offices Closed for the Memorial Day Holiday
June 9 14 16 21
Thu Tue Thu Tue
People First Support Group Meeting disABILITY Voters Task Force TBI Support Group Meeting - NWMO Brain Injury Association People First Support Group Meeting - Maryville Chapter
July 4 14 19 21
Mon Thu Tue Thu
All MERIL offices closed for the Independence Day Holiday People First Support Group Meeting People First Support Group Meeting - Maryville Chapter TBI Support Group Meeting - NWMO Brain Injury Association
Page 4
Meet Mary, An ‘Angel’ Who Calls Maryville Home By Mark Miller Administrator, Community Health Mary Simmons is a Registered Nurse from Maryville who serves patients throughout Northwest Missouri as an RN Care Manager for Angels Home Health. Mary became a member of the Angels team of nurses, therapists and social workers in July 2015. Previously, over a 37 year nursing career, Mary worked at SSM St. Francis in Maryville in various areas: Obstetrics, Medical-Surgical, and most recently the Emergency Room for 24 years. She has lived in Maryville since 1968. While there are no “typical” weeks in the life of an RN Care Manager, Mary does a great deal of patient education - ensuring that her patients understand their post-surgical or medical conditions, prescribed medications, and nursing interventions like IV therapy, wound care, and dressing changes. “I believe my patients must understand the goals established by their physicians and work collaboratively with me and their families to receive the greatest benefit of care,” Mary explains. “When families choose Angels Home Health, our relationship becomes a sacred trust; families trust us at their most vulnerable times. It is important that we honor that trust by educating the patient and family on how to understand, manage and adapt to their new circumstances.” Since Angels Home Health serves 9 counties 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, Mary and her colleagues respond to crises and concerns in hopes of avoiding unnecessary visits to the Emergency Departments at area hospitals. “It’s a busy life, but a very gratifying one,” Mary said. So how does Mary keep up this pace? “I always look for the lighter side of life and try to be uplifting to my patients and co-workers,” Mary explains. “While this is a serious business, life’s too short not to laugh a little.” Mary also is a big sports fan, following NWMSU Bearcat football as well as Kansas City Royals baseball and KC Chiefs football. “We feel very blessed to have Mary on our team,” concludes Community Health Administrator Mark Miller, “not only does she have excellent clinical skills but she is a natural-born team-builder who inspires us all.”
Life’s most persistent and urgent question is: “What are you doing for others?” - Martin Luther King, Jr.
Spring 2016
Page 5
For all the details on the great presentations being offered, see pages 6 & 7!
Page 6
Spring 2016
Page 7
Page 8
Emergency Text to 911 Coming Soon
By Dawn Hill, St. Joseph Communications Center Supervisor Using the phone to call for help in an emergency is something people have done for as long as phones have been around. But that’s about to change. Buchanan County residents will soon be able to text 911 in an emergency, an innovation experts say is the most significant change to calling for help since the three-digit phone number, 911, was introduced nationwide in the late 1960s. In many of the nation’s public service answering points (PSAPs), the majority of 911 calls are already being made from mobile phones, requiring updates in emergency call management that was designed for tethered telephones in the legacy wireline system. For many cellular users, texting has become as common as voice calling, if not more so, putting pressure on 911 systems to further adapt to this new reality. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) recently approved new text to 911 rules, requiring all wireless carriers and some messaging services to allow people to text 911 in an emergency at the request of the PSAP. Four major mobile providers, AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile and Verizon, voluntarily enabled texting to 911. Moving forward to text to 911 will provide benefits for the 40 million speech and hearing impaired, who now must use special equipment to communicate with 911 answering points via non-voice messages. In the current 911 system, deaf and hearing-impaired callers must use a teletypewriter (TTY) text telephone device or a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD) to contact 911 in an emergency. These devices, invented in the 1960s, allow two users to type messages to each other, but are cumbersome and slow to operate. Next-generation 911 holds particular promise for people with hearing impairments or other disabilities. TTY devices have generally become less necessary for people with hearing or speech impairments in their day-to-day communications. Email, instant messages, video chat and text messages are now much more commonly used for communicating with friends, family members, healthcare providers and others. However, because most 911 PSAPs are accessible only via phone, deaf or speech-impaired people must still use a TTY device or have their messages relayed to a 911 call taker by a friend, relative or third-party relay service. More and more people are found to be in situations where they can’t speak or are in danger if they make noise. There is little doubt that texting 911 could save lives in our community. Last year, we had 56,151 911 phone calls that came into the city’s emergency communications center. While this service will bring more options to those who find themselves in need of emergency responders, text messaging should not be seen as a replacement for calling 911. Voice calls to 911 are usually the most efficient way to reach emergency help. Voice calls provide an advantage by allowing the 911 operator to more quickly access the type of emergency and location of the emergency. In efforts to maintain a proactive commitment to emergency services for our community, the St. Joseph Communications Center has initiated the process to bring text to 911 to our jurisdiction. The longest part of this process will be setting up the service with the wireless carriers. We hope to go live with the Text to 911 Program the summer of 2016.
Spring 2016
Page 9
Remember MERIL’s fundraiser with GoodSearch. A donation is provided to MERIL just for searching on the Internet using GoodSearch.com. When you search, choose MERIL as the donation recipient. When you actually shop through GoodShop, MERIL will also get a percentage of the purchase. Thank you for considering this option for “surfing and shopping the net.”
: Empowering people to live life fully.
MERIL Staff Anniversaries Jane Knudson - 9 years Sharon Courter - 7 years Bethany Miller - 6 years Harrison Jones - 4 years Jacob Parks - 3 years Vicki Keller - 2 years Lisa Gabriel - 1 year Annette Hanway - 1 year Mark Miller - 1 year Mary Simmons - 1 year
Page 10
Exercise Your Right to Vote By Jay Claywell Independent Living Specialist As I write this, I’m thinking of the future. The political landscape these days seems to be rife with rugged terrain. No matter what side of the political fence you find yourself leaning on, the candidates, local or national, have their work cut out for them. And, to get in there and get to it they’re bound to need your help. I know, I know, putting it like that sounds strange or maybe a bit too personal, but that’s always been how I’ve looked at it. Locally or nationally, when we read about the issues, watch the news, the debates, or even talk politics over coffee, we’re conducting job interviews. We, the people, are gathering information, opinions, insights, and such about folks who are going to be charged with managing our lives on a relatively invisible, but often impactful, and grander scale than we may actually realize. That’s why, I’m writing to you now. Gathering all of the opinions, watching those debates, engaging in spirited discourse at the local coffee shop does absolutely no good if you don’t get up off the couch and vote when the time comes. Sometimes, you need help, options, or more information. Never fear, the future is here! I have heard it said that if, generally speaking, all persons with disabilities got out to the polls and voted, that demographically they’d have more polling power than the NRA and AARP groups combined. I have no idea if that’s true or not, but it’s worth taking a shot at finding out, don’t you think? We’re cutting it close here and there regarding municipal elections and such. Here are some important dates to remember: August 2nd is National Primary Election Day. October 12th is the last day to register to vote in the November 8th General Election. November 2nd is the last day to request an absentee ballot for the November 8th General Election.
And finally, the big dance, November 8th is GENERAL ELECTION DAY. Like I said, paying attention and keeping yourself abreast of the political arena by voting is your Constitutional Right, and is exercising your ability to hire who you feel is the right person for the job. Don’t pass it up. If you need help registering to vote in Buchanan County, come by and see me or give me a call here at MERIL. I’m a Buchanan County registrar and would be happy to help. Buchanan County residents will also be able to stop by the Voter Registration booth at Better Living 4U (see pages 5 - 7). If you’re outside of Buchanan County, I’ll steer you in the right direction. We all have a big opportunity in November. Let’s take advantage of it. For more information: visit http://www.sos.mo.gov/elections/calendar/2016cal .
Spring 2016
Page 11
Personal Care Attendants Needed Contact your State Legislators: Senator Dan Hegeman District #12 573.751.1415 dan.hegeman@senate.mo.gov Senator Rob Schaaf, District #34 573.751.2183 rob.schaaf@senate.mo.gov _______________________ Representative Allen Andrews District #1 573.751.9465 allen.andrews@house.mo.gov Representative Pat Conway, District #10 573.751.9755 pat.conway@house.mo.gov Representative J. Eggleston District #2 573.751.4285 J.eggleston@house.mo.gov Representative Galen Higdon, District #11 573.751.3643 galen.higdon@house.mo.gov Representative Delus Johnson, District #9 573.751.3666 delus.johnson@house.mo.gov Representative Jim Neely, District #8 573.751.0246 jim.neely@house.mo.gov Who is your legislator? Not sure? Check at: http://www.mo.gov
Are you interested in working as a Consumer Directed Services (CDS) attendant? CDS enables participants to live independently in their homes with assistance from qualified attendants who provide services that include, but are not limited to, cleaning, cooking, taking the participant to non-medical appointments, shopping, and assisting the participant with their daily needs. The participant is the employer of the attendant and is responsible for recruiting, hiring, training, and supervising the services provided by attendants including, but not limited to, the completion of time sheets. As employers, participants have a much greater level of control over their care. They are able to hire a family member (other than a spouse), friend, or select individuals from the attendant registry available at MERIL. To qualify to be a CDS attendant, candidates must: Be at least eighteen (18) years of age Be able to meet the physical and mental demands required to perform specific tasks required by a particular participant Agree to maintain confidentiality Be emotionally mature and dependable Be able to handle emergency type situations Not be the participant’s spouse; and Register with the Family Care Safety Registry pursuant to applicable state laws and regulations MERIL provides services in the following counties: Andrew, Atchison, Buchanan, Clinton, DeKalb, Gentry, Holt, Nodaway and Worth. If you are interested in being a Personal Care Attendant, stop by MERIL to complete an application at 4420 S. 40th Street, St. Joseph, MO or visit our office in Maryville located at 2416B S. Main Street.
Demonstrating determination and commitment to
complete a task.
Nonprofit Org. U.S. Postage PAID St. Joseph, MO Permit No. 983
Midland Empire Resources for Independent Living 4420 South 40th Street St. Joseph, MO 64503 RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED
If you would like to be removed from our newsletter mailing, please notify us at newsletter@meril.org or call: St. Joseph Office Phone: 816.279.8558 Toll Free: 800.MERIL4U Fax: 816.279.1550 Video Phone: 816.396.0234 Maryville Office Toll Free: 800.MERIL4U Fax: 660.582.2677
Ways to Give There are many ways you can make a difference through a gift to MERIL. Cash Contributions - Cash contributions are the most common charitable gift. Checks should be made out to MERIL.
Angels Home Health 816.364.0900 Fax: 816.364.0588 www.facebook.com/MERIL4U
Bridge Interpreting 816.244.0834 The MERIL Messenger is a free publication. While articles and stories submitted for publication are always welcome, MERIL reserves the right to reject or to edit all items for content, clarity and length. Braille, large print, and Spanish copies are available on request. The MERIL Messenger is also available online at www.meril.org. Please send articles, suggestions, comments or subscription requests to: Editor, MERIL Messenger, 4420 South 40th Street, St. Joseph, MO 64503. Or call 816.279.8558 voice or toll-free 800.MERIL4U. Or you may email us at newsletter@meril.org. Midland Empire Resources for Independent Living is a not-for-profit organization.