Those with temporary or permanent disability, that makes it difficult to handle everyday chores on their own, are increasingly using online delivery services to rent movies, pick up cleaning supplies and buy groceries throughout the nation. Many online delivery sites said they believe that as more disabled Americans gain access to computers, they would increasingly rely on online delivery services. A recent Harris poll for the National Organization on Disability and financed by Aetna U.S. Healthcare found that adults with disabilities were twice as likely as the nondisabled to report that the Internet had significantly improved their lives.

There is a Casco Bay area Grocery delivery service, aptly named Maine Grocery Delivery Service (link). “MGD is committed to providing a service that meets many varying needs. We offer a lifeline to those who may not be able to leave their house on their own, a convenience to busy working families, and a well deserved break to the vacationer who would rather spend time on the beach than in a grocery store…” Their delivery service is at this time limited to Scarborough, Saco, Old Orchard Beach, South Portland, Gorham, Cape Elizabeth, Westbrook, Biddeford, with limited delivery is available within certain Portland and Falmouth areas upon request (link for more details about their available delivery times)

Here’s how it works (link):

• Shop for items on your grocery list
• Choose a delivery date
• Groceries are delivered to your door

Clearly from the delivery locations listed above, MGD doesn’t have a wide range at this moment. For those of you that are not in those locations here are some resources of different online grocery delivery services that will have a wider delivery location. (link)

In addition, notes the National Center on Physical Activity and Disability (NCPAD), yoga aids your:

• Digestive system, as the bending and stretching poses stimulate the digestive system
• Cardiovascular and cardiopulmonary systems (also known as your heart and lungs!), as the more active poses increase heart rate and lung capacity through aerobic activity
• Lymphatic system (essentially, the primary component of your immune system), which needs strong muscles and active interaction among the lungs, diaphragm, and thorax to stay strong
• Skeletal and muscular systems, which benefit from yoga’s focus on proper alignment, flexibility, and muscle-strengthening

One of Alpha One’s plans for 2012, with the help of a local yoga instructor, is to produce a series of instructional yoga videos for those with a disability. We are currently looking for some volunteers who want to participate in these instructional videos. If you are interested, please email the communications department.

I had the pleasure of introducing the evening on stage with Craig Gray, Vice President of Prudential’s Return to Life Program. I thanked the audience for coming and let them know that proceeds from the concert would support Alpha One’s many services for people with disabilities throughout Maine. I added that the concert could not have happened without the generous support of Prudential, our sponsor for the concert series. Next, I introduced Craig who generously praised the work of Alpha One and spoke of Prudential’s pride in being associated with Alpha One.

Interestingly the audience paid close attention to the two of us. You don’t often see two guys in wheelchairs on stage to talk to those in attendance, and I believe it added to their experience to know that they were part of something beyond the concert itself. The evening took on a warm, friendly, and celebratory feel.

Then it was on to a great night of music with an enthusiastic crowd. Special guest Lucy Wainwright Roche sang and played acoustic guitar offering humorous stories about her songs and other topics. She was quite charming and it was clear to all that she was enjoying herself. Lucy was joined on stage by Amy Ray for harmonies on one song.

After an intermission, the Indigo Girls took the stage and played an unbroken set of music from their portfolio feeding on the energy of the audience. Although, they took the stage with a predetermined song list they shifted gears readily for requests from the crowd. The Indigo Girls are accomplished guitar players and their harmonies are beautiful. Many of those in attendance were clearly devoted fans with more and more of them standing and dancing to the music. At several points in songs they sang a line when the IGs paused. The IG s and the audience kept reinforcing each others energy with each successive song.

Another aspect of the concert that added to the event was the presence of two American Sign Language interpreters who did an amazing job of interpreting the lyrics and emotions of the songs. While ASL interpreters usually spell each other after a certain amount of time, at one point they spontaneously joined together in an interpreting duet on the hit song “Galileo”. It was terrific.

In a Halloween tribute to one of the IG songs, one fan came dressed as a cold beer bottle and another as a remote control. These were rabidly enthusiastic fans. At the end of the set, two other audience members dressed as the Indigo Girls were invited on stage for the last song. A moment of a lifetime for them I’m sure, singing on stage with the Indigo Girls. It was also a great surprise near the end when the Indigo Girls spoke about their respect and appreciation for the work of Alpha One and the sponsorship by Prudential.

After the show, we were treated to a private performance of one last encore of “Let it be me” by the girls. They were very gracious and although they were heading on to Burlington that night, spent precious minutes with us, completing our evening. Wow. What an amazing night.

-Dennis Fitzgibbons

The award was named to commemorate the life of Denis Pratt, who died unexpectedly on July 7, 2010. Denis dedicated himself to the advancement of Universal Design and accessibility in all of its many facets. Employed by Alpha One in South Portland as an architect and Access Design Specialist since 1992, Denis was involved in hundreds of access design consultations and was a widely recognized expert in the highly specialized field of barrier-free design. For more information contact your local Alpha One office or info@alphaonenow.org.

About the Maine ADA Coalition

Founded in 2009 and led by Alpha One, Center for Independent Living, the Maine ADA Coalition is a group of non-profit organizations working together to create new opportunities for people with disabilities in Maine. The award celebrates those who honor the spirit of the Americans with Disabilities Act through their service to the community.

Looking for a great day of skiing and riding at Sunday River? Join Maine Handicapped Skiing at their 25th anniversary Ski-A-Thon, March 27th, 2010 at Sunday River Ski Resort. Teams of five people– friends, family or co-workers–raise a minimum of $1000 to participate in the all day extravaganza. And what a day it is!

At the Ski-A-Thon participants ski or ride for free all day, courtesy of Sunday River, (or Nordic ski down the hill at the Sunday River XC Ski Center), eat breakfast, lunch and dinner at the Grand Summit Hotel, and participate in relay races, the FUN RACE at Monday Mourning, or the Tropical Obstacle Course created by the Parrot Head Club of Maine. There is never a dull moment at the Ski-A-Thon. Ski-A-Thon’ers can get free massages, be thrilled by a magician, dance to the great sounds of Rockin’ George Leh and His Band or laugh with Gary Crocker, Maine humorist! link to the rest of the article

I am attaching to my testimony statements from Maine people who use consumer directed PCA services to remain in their homes, in some instances in their jobs, and out of institutions.  I hope you will read each of their statements that clearly describe how people will be hurt by these cuts.

Specific to MaineCare consumer directed programs I believe the across the board 10% cut approach has unintended consequences.   A ten percent rate cut for these two programs will lower the wage rate for personal attendants. The rate for these programs is $10.44. From this rate wages are paid at $9.00 per hour, plus payroll taxes and workers compensation premiums. There is no administrative margin where the 10% cut can be absorbed.

Tomorrow, the Consumer-Directed Home Based Care Program is slated for a hearing and consumers in that program will be coming to testify before you.  The issues are similar-cuts to hours of care which threaten people’s ability to remain in their home, in their jobs and out of nursing homes at a much higher cost to the state.

I ask that you-

Preserve direct home care for consumers first.

Pay direct care workers a fair wage second.

All other parts of the long term care system need to absorb funding cuts.

In line with the LEAN process that has already begun, we have a number of ideas about how to reduce program costs without impacting vital direct care services and we want to work with the Committees and the Department to do that.

Thank you.

I offer these five general questions as a filter for any concrete proposals that will change the structure and content of our long term support services in light of these new fiscal realities.  They are:

• Does this approach invest more in direct services, redirecting resources away from less essential administrative elements?
• Is there consolidation designed to improve economies and reduce duplicative costs in programs and among providers?
• Will this emphasize personal and family responsibility by expanding consumer direction and encouraging more people to use effective, proven programs that continue to be the least costly home and community based option?
• Will we maintain program quality and continuity by guaranteeing a wage floor for workers and setting a standard administrative rate for providers?
• Will we begin the process that changes the overall trajectory of our long term care system in line with the new initiatives coming from the federal government that encourages greater utilization of cost-effective home and community based services?

Despite the fact that cuts are looming over consumers and their personal attendants their testimony was poignant, crisp and compelling. There is no doubt in my mind that the joint committee listened and were moved. While it will be weeks or months until we know how this all turns out we can feel proud of the huge effort that identified several very well prepared consumers to testify and collected a tremendous number of written testimony from consumers around Maine. We delivered 5 files boxes of testimony to the committee! Thank you all for your work to make this event successful.

-Dennis Fitzgibbons

Did you know your government is providing reimbursement based on which equipment they think is best for you? Their decisions are not based on what actually is best for your unique medical needs.

So basically — you are getting rehab equipment — but what the government feels is appropriate for you. Not what is really best for you to live an independent healthy lifestyle.

If this scenario sounds familiar and you would like to get involved and help change the way the government reimburses for Complex Rehab Equipment, apply for a Consumer Scholarship to the CELA conference in April 2010:

http://freeonlinesurveys.com/rendersurvey.asp?sid=a0mh1fpj6d89i3×656273

This is an expenses paid trip to Washington, DC where you can tell your story in person to members of Congress on Capitol Hill. Your involvement will help change the government’s perspective for you and others with disabilities.

Thank you and we look forward to hearing from you.

Last week, Governor Baldacci unveiled his proposed curtailment package to reduce budget expenditures in the current fiscal year in light of lowered revenue projections. At the time, he indicated that this is the first phase of an estimated $400 million in budget reductions in the current fiscal year. As expected, these initial curtailments fell most heavily on human services programs and state aid to education. On Tuesday morning, DHHS Commissioner Brenda Harvey, while addressing a work group on long term care, provided the first insights into the likely shape of these future cuts. While present curtailments have targeted state funding and excluded Medicaid funded programs that are matched by the federal government, the next round of cuts for the Department will apparently include deep cuts in current Medicaid funded programs. Commissioner Harvey indicated that cuts to state funded programs will be much deeper, but that she expects that the cuts to Medicaid programs will be $100 million meaning a reduction of these services by approximately $400 million when the federal match of approximately $3 federal to every $1 of state money is considered.

Obviously, removing $400 million dollars from current Medicaid services will have a devastating impact on many citizens and families — including those who receive the services as well as those employed to deliver these services. I am committed to working with the agencies and providers to fully understand the impact that such cuts may have on the quality of services, the quality of life, and essential employment in our communities. As specific proposals are unveiled in the Governor’s supplemental budget, probably at some time soon after the first of the year, I want to hear from you about the impacts of any proposed cuts and work with you to identify alternatives that may blunt the worst impacts of any proposed cuts.

Colleagues with many years of service in the legislature have indicated that it is much more rewarding to serve in times when the economy is strong and the budget is more easily balanced. I am sure that is true — but we are now in a very different time, and I am committed to working with you as creatively as possible to find ways to minimize the impacts of these cuts on essential services to our most vulnerable neighbors. Let’s keep in close touch as this situation unfolds. Good information and communication will help me do the best I possibly can on behalf of you and our fellow Maine citizens.

Representative Matt Peterson – House District 92

EM: petersonhouse08@gmail.com

http://petersonforme.blogspot.com/2009/12/bracing-for-budget-crisis.html