Open House @ New England Village – attn Parents of Special Needs Adults
April 24, 2017
Admissions
Open House
Saturday, April 29, 2017, 10:00am – 1:00pm
Learn all about their residential, day services and community offerings. RSVP preferred
Please contact Mary Stanley at 781-293-5461, ext. 113
or mstanley@newenglandvillage.org.
See more at the New England Village website.
Elder Care Workshop Series at Norwell Public Library
March 7, 2017
Have You Been Appointed Representative Payee?
December 21, 2016
South Shore ARC Autism Resource Center – At Last
December 1, 2016
As knowledge about autism has grown, along with medical and public benefits for autism, families have been struggling to create and navigate the safety net system all at once.
Now there is a group to turn to, a place to find answers and to share your own lessons learned with other families. Visit the South Shore ARC’s Autism Resource Center to see what they have developed so far and how you can help shape the Center.
Open Your Home and Grow Your Family
The South Shore ARC is looking for families who would like to host under the Shared Living program. This is a state program that matches up adults with developmental disabilities with “host families.”
If you would like to open your home and your heart, please visit the ARC’s Shared Living page.
Ice Sledding & Skating at Local Rinks
January 12, 2015
In this weekend’s Boston Globe South section, there is an announcement for gear and ice time availability at local rinks. Several rinks will have ice sleds and skate walkers. Some rinks will have time slots set aside for assisted skating and sled ice hockey.
Here’s the link to the article.
And here’s the link to the DCR Universal Access Program, which is organizing these events.
Get up and go!
Statewide Transition Conference for Parents
August 28, 2014
The Arc of Massachusetts is holding a transition conference for parents of children with disabilities between the ages of 14 and 22. Attendees will be able to choose from a variety of workshops focused on the best practices of creating seamless transitions from school into the adult world.
The conference will take place from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. on Saturday, September 20th at the College of the Holy Cross in Worcester. Registration is $75.00 per person and includes breakfast and lunch, as well as all-day access to a “technology playground,” where attendees can learn about iPads, iPods, tablets, and the best apps to prepare children for adult life and independence.
Workshop topics include employment, benefits eligibility, financial seminars, transportation, housing, the parent role in the transition process, and more. There are over 25 workshops to choose from; each attendee may select four. The descriptions can be found here. JoAnn Simons, President of the Cardinal Cushing Centers of Massachusetts, will deliver the keynote address and Maria Paiewonsky, Transition Specialist at the Institute for Community Inclusion, will give the lunchtime presentation.
If you have a child with disabilities, this event is a must-do. The Arc of the South Shore can help defray the cost of attendance for qualified local families; contact Daryl Cook-Ivan or Katie Hanley at 781-335-3023. For general questions regarding conference registration, dietary concerns, or special accommodations, contact Pat Pakos of the Arc of Massachusetts at 978-440-7609.
Department of Public Health Survey on Health Needs for People with Disabilities
May 20, 2013
Helping an SSI Recipient (or Anyone) Manage Money
September 14, 2009
Do you help someone manage their money? Perhaps you are a representative payee on the Social Security checks of an SSI recipient? Or maybe you are the trustee of a special needs trust?
Would the person whose money you manage – let’s call her the recipient – like to have some cash in her pocket for small purchases of her own?
There is an interesting new debit card that can give you the best of both worlds, the Mastercard Allow Card. The premise is that as the trustee or the representative payee, you would put some amount on the card every month, let’s say $200. You would also fill out a lengthy questionnaire, detailing what purchases can and cannot be made with the debit card.
So if, for example, you are managing Social Security funds for an SSI recipient, you know that her SSI checks are meant to be spent on food and shelter. You would allow the debit card to be used for those purchases, but you would, perhaps, block it from being used for buying video games or cigarettes.
Likewise, if you are the trusee of a special needs trust, you know that those funds are not to be used for food or shelter. You would set up the card to reject any attempted purchases of snacks or groceries. And you would allow the card to accept purchases of books, movie tickets, etc.
As the person filling out the questionnaire, you have discretion to set up the purchasing rules as you feel is appropriate. And at the same time, it gives the recipient the independence, satisfaction, and pride of knowing that she can walk into a store and take care of herself.
There are fees associated with both cards, you will need to investigate both and see if this is the right for your situation. Special thanks to Jack Longert of the Wisconsin Pooled and Community Trusts for teaching me about this.
Always Keep Time & Expense Records When Helping Another
August 6, 2009
So many children, nieces and nephews, and good neighbors pitch in to do heavy lifting for an aging or disabled family member or friend. You may be running errands, cleaning out a basement, doing weekly grocery trips. We do these things on a volunteer basis, usually receiving just reimbursement for purchases made. And when the hours pile up – like cleaning out a house or overseeing home remodeling – elders often insist on paying their helpers for their time.
If you are doing this sort of work for an elder or disabled person, it is imperative that the person you are helping (or you yourself, if she can’t), keep good records of expenses and time spent.
While this may feel wrong to you – afterall, you are doing this work out of kindness, it’s not a business arrangement – a lack of records can spell big trouble for the elder or disabled person later. If they will ever be turning to MassHealth (Medicaid) for care, whether at home, assisted living, or in a nursing home, MassHealth will examine the last 5 years of the applicant’s bank records. She will need to explain – and document – why she was paying you.
Without accurate records and receipts, MassHealth will likely reject the elder’s application. At that point, the only way for her to get the care she needs from MassHealth will be for you to return all the funds she paid you.
While it may feel awkward, do yourself and the person you are helping a favor and keep good time records and all receipts. And carry on with your good work.
