According to an e-mail I got from Cathy McRae at the MQC3, the Michigan Quality Community Care Council has been ended. The state has moved the function of this Registry to an organization called MPHI. MPHI has taken over the MQC3’s phone number, which is 800-979-4662. If you should need assistance with finding a Home Help provider, please contact MPHI at that number.
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Immigration and Naturalization Information Session
The attached invitation is for the upcoming Naturalization Information Session at the United States Citizenship & Immigration Services office in Detroit. It is scheduled for Friday, March 29, 2013 (from 1:00 to 3:00 pm). This session is a great experience for community based organizations, the general public, permanent residents, as well as citizenship applicants awaiting their interview to understand and help demystify the Naturalization process.
If you would like to attend this session, please RSVP (including the number of your group), no later than March 28, 2013, by using either the e-mail or phone number listed on the invitation. Thank you.
Regards,
Frank Castria
Community Relations Officer, USCIS Detroit, MI
Office- 313-926-4211 Fax- 313-926-4210
Mi Healthier Tomorrow
Hi Everyone,
By now, you may have already heard about this initiative from the Michigan Department of Community Health via the radio or television, but just in case you haven’t, I thought I would pass it along. Some of the residents, especially those that are comfortable with and are frequent computer users, may find it to be of interest. It is called the Mi Healthier Tomorrow initiative. Participants are asked to take the Mi Healthier Tomorrow “pledge” (online), after which they will receive a free Starter Kit with motivational tips, money-saving offers and other good stuff. And to keep them going they will receive little motivational emails and/or text messages twice a month to keep them focused on what they pledged so they can reach their goals. They also have the option to share their pledgeswith family & friends so they can motivate each other and keep each other on track.
Here is a link to the Mi Healthier Tomorrow website: www.michigan.gov/mihealthiertomorrow and a link to their Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/mihealthiertomorrow so you can learn more about it. To date, 16,473 Michiganders have taken the pledge (including me!).
Sincerely,
Tom Wyllie
Director of Wellness
Presbyterian Villages of Michigan
26200 Lahser Rd., Suite 400
Southfield, MI 48033
twyllie@pvm.org
Detroit City Briefs
INDIVIDUALS AND COMPANIES ENCOURAGED TO SAVE MONEY
BY PAYING DELINQUENT INCOME TAXES DURING AMNESTY PROGRAM
Individuals or companies that owe income taxes to the City of Detroit can pay their back taxes without penalty from now through February 16 under a tax amnesty program. Anyone who has not filed an income tax return or has an outstanding balance for tax years 2011 and prior can take part in the program.
Under the City’s tax code, all Detroit residents who earn more than $600 in a calendar year are required to pay income taxes regardless of where they work. In addition, all non-residents who spend any time working in Detroit and earn more than $600 in a calendar year are required to pay income taxes to the City regardless of where their employer is located.
Delinquent tax returns can be filed in person or mailed to the Coleman A. Young Municipal Center, 2 Woodward Avenue – Suite 130, Detroit, MI 48226, with the full amount due. The office is open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. and on Saturdays from 9 until noon.
For more information and tax forms, go to www.detroitmi.gov/incometax or call (313) 224-3315.
DETROIT CITY COUNCIL TO HOST COMMUNITY MEETING FEBRUARY 19
The Detroit City Council will host an evening community meeting on Tuesday, Feb. 19, from 7 – 8:30 p.m. in District 1 at Christian Fellowship of Love Baptist Church, 22400 Grand River.
All residents and community or neighborhood organizations in the area are encouraged to attend the meeting. Representatives from City departments will also be on hand to receive complaints and explain departmental plans and policies.
An interpreter for the hearing impaired will be available if requested at least 48 hours in advance. To arrange for an interpreter, call 224-6376. For information about the evening community meetings or the process to submit questions and concerns, call (313) 224-6376.
CITY BUILDING DEPARTMENT PROPOSES NEW PLUMBING FEE SCHEDULE
The public is invited to comment on the 2013 proposed plumbing permit fee schedule from the Buildings, Safety Engineering & Environmental Department (BSEED) at a public hearing on Feb. 28 at 10 a.m. in Room 408, 4th floor, Coleman A. Young Municipal Center, 2 Woodward Avenue, Detroit, 48226.
The proposed schedule is a revision of the 2009 plumbing permit fee schedule. The proposed effective date of the new fee schedule is April 1. Copies of the proposed 2013 plumbing fee schedule and the 2009 fee schedule are available on the City’s Web site at www.detroitmi.gov/bseed or by calling 212-224-3202.
Oral or written comments may be made in person at the hearing or submitted in writing via mail or facsimile no later than 4:30 p.m., February 14 by:
Mail: Buildings, Safety Engineering and Environmental Department
2 Woodward Avenue, Detroit, Michigan 48226
Fax: (313) 224-1467
For more information, please contact Helen Broughton, Business Advocate II, at 313-628-2459 or broughtonh@detroitmi.gov.
DETROITERS ENCOURAGED TO TAKE WEATHER SPOTTER TRAINING CLASS ON APRIL 24
The National Weather Service is offering a severe weather spotter training class to teach Detroiters how to accurately observe weather conditions and report them. The free, two-hour training is scheduled for Wednesday, April 24, from 7 – 9 p.m. at Gilmore Center – One Ford Place, 6071 Second Avenue, Detroit, MI 48202.
The class will focus on: the role of the spotter; thunderstorm development; tornado classifications; flash floods; severe weather safety tips; and reporting severe weather. Informational handouts also will be distributed.
The class is being coordinated by the City of Detroit Office of Homeland Security & Emergency Management. To register or for information, contact Scott Berkseth at 313-596-1714 or berkseths@detroitmi.gov.
BELLE ISLE AQUARIUM HAS RE-OPENED
The Belle Isle Aquarium reopened last fall and is free and open to the public every Saturday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
For organizers Jennifer Boardman and Vance Patrick of the Belle Isle Conservancy, and fish curator Gary Balduc, the grand re-opening was the culmination of sever al years of work.
For more information, call (313) 331-7760 or (313) 628-2081.
WTD10 DETROIT CABLE OFFERS NEW PROGRAMMING
Check out some of the engaging and informative original programming on the City of Detroit’s government access channel WTD10.
Access Health & Fitness: One new show weekly
Healthy lifestyle — focusing on those health-conscious viewers who want to improve their quality of life. Host: Renee Ferguson.
Making Your Money Work:
One new 30-minute show weekly
Finance — focusing on the grass roots financial issues facing Detroit’s families today. Host: Gail Perry Mason.
Parking Wars: The series from A&E follows City of Detroit parking enforcement officers as they ticket and tow vehicles in Detroit and their interactions with motorists.
ORIGINAL SPECIALS
Tribute to St. Cecilia’s Gym: “Where Stars are Made, Not Born”
The 30-minute documentary focuses on St. Cecilia, the westside gym in Detroit, that is legendary for attracting top-notch basketball players from high school to professional, male and female. Shortly after the 1967 riots, Sam Washington organized a summer league to bring the community together and keep kids off the streets. The names of athletes who participated in his program reads like a list of Who’s Who of basketball, including Detroit Mayor Dave Bing, NBA Hall of Famer and the first professional to play at St. Cecilia.
For more information about WTD10 and for a complete programming schedule, please go to the City’s Web site at www.detroitmi.gov/mediaservices.
DETROIT POLICE DEPARTMENT REOPENS MINI-STATIONS
The Detroit Police Department recently reopened seven mini-stations and plans to open six additional mini-stations by March. The following seven mini-stations have reopened:
· Belmont Shopping Center, 20500 Conant St., in the 11th police precinct
· Butzel Family Center, 7737 Kercheval St., in the 7th police precinct
· Riverbend Plaza, 13206 Jefferson Ave., in the 5th police precinct
· Mack and Alter, 14700 Mack Ave., in the 9th police precinct
· Virginia Park Community, 8671 Rosa Parks Blvd., in the 10th police precinct
· Bel-Air Shopping Center, 95540 E. 8 Mile Road, in the 11th police precinct
· Northwest Activities Center, 18100 Meyers Road, in the 12th police precinct
A permanent officer, a police reservist and a community volunteer are assigned to each mini-station, which are open Monday through Friday, from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. DPD plans to open six additional mini-stations, including a mini-station at the Rosa Parks Transit Center, 1310 Cass Ave. (1st Precinct) in mid-February.
Services offered at a mini station include:
· Initiating and organizing Neighborhood Watch programs, radio patrols and neighborhood foot patrols
· Crime prevention tips and literature
· Interaction with a dedicated mini-station officer
· Crime reporting and completing citizen incident reports
· Recording phone requests for service and complaints
· Hosting community meetings
Hospice is used more often, but not for long
It’s just an ‘add-on’ after aggressive care, ICU stays
Janice Lloyd@JaniceNLloyd USA TODAY
Twice as many elderly people died in hospice as in a hospital or nursing home compared with a decade ago, but hospice is often treated as a last resort — and used too late to benefit patients and their families, a study said Tuesday.
Researchers examined Medicare records for 840,000 people 66 or older who died in 2000, 2005 and 2009. They found intensive-care use, hospitalization and health care transitions increased in the last month of life before patients entered hospice.
Hospice aims to address the physical, emotional, social and spiritual needs of dying patients and their families and to control pain, says the study’s lead author, Joan Teno, a palliative care physician and professor at Warren Alpert School of Medicine at Brown University in Providence.
But this study shows that “for many patients, hospice is an add-on to a very aggressive pattern of care during the last days of life,” she says. “We suspect they and their families didn’t get the support they needed.”
More than a quarter of hospice use in 2009 was for three days or less; 40% of those late referrals followed an intensive-care stay.
The study is in The Journal of the American Medical Association.
An accompanying editorial calls for an end to aggressive treatment at the end of life by improving communication between patients and physicians and considering a “threshold of likely benefit and life expectancy for ICU admissions.”
“We need to improve the care system so people are spending more than a day or two in hospice,” says David Goodman, director of the Center for Health Policy Research at Dartmouth in Hanover, N.H. “Comfort, being in a familiar setting with family and pets is what it should be all about.”
Other highlights of the study:
The percentage of dying seniors using hospice was 42.2% in 2009, up from 21.6% in 2000.
People dying of cancer were more likely than those with dementia or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease to use hospice.
| The percentage of people with dementia who spent time in intensive care in their last month of life rose from 18.6% in 2000 to 21.8% in 2009. Days spent in intensive care also increased. |
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Changes for 2013
SOCIAL SECURITY, SSI, MEDICARE PREMIUMS & OTHER COST OF LIVING CHANGES FOR 2013
Social Security monthly payments increased by 1.7% of the 2012 amount.
SSI monthly benefits increased to $710 plus $43 every quarter from the State.
Couples who both receive SSI get $1066 in 2013 plus $13 quarterly from Michigan.
The monthly Medicare premium for Part B increased by 5% to $104.98 in 2013. (higher for wealthier Medicare recipients)
SSI and Social Security checks will no longer be mailed as of March 2013. They will be delivered electronically either to the recipient’s bank account or through DIRECT EXPRESS. Payments from Direct Express can be received on a debit card or, withdrawal of the total monthly amount at a participating bank.
SER HARDER TO QUALIFY FOR AN ENERGY SERVICE
A recent change in SER will mean fewer households may qualify for Energy services due to a change in the federal LIHEAP program. The Maximum Income allowed for energy services now is:
SER GROUP SIZE INCOME
1 $1397
2 $1892
3 $2387
Add $495 for each additional person.
Take the SCoop Tutorial Evaluation!
Your feedback is important to us! Please take the survey to evaluate the SCoop Tutorial on 1/10/13.
Downriver Resource Fair
Please see the attached flyer for an upcoming resource fair for Downriver SCs.
DHS Revamps Website
I think that Michigan DHS has an improved web site. Worth going to for information on weatherization, burial, etc. – Cheryl
A visit to TSA
This afternoon, I had an exciting opportunity to meet with Douglas Simpson, information resources manager at The Senior Alliance.
The purpose of the meeting was to help me get a handle on my ever burning question:
What does The Senior Alliance do?
Prior to the meeting, I knew that The Senior Alliance (TSA) provides information and referrals for older adults in Wayne County. I was also aware that TSA is the place to go for things like Meals on Wheels, Michigan Medicaid/Medicare Assistance Program, and other government programs for older adults.
From this meeting, I was hoping to get more of a concrete explanation of services, and perhaps a tour of the office building to meet some of the workers.
While I didn’t get exactly what I was looking for, the experience was worthwhile.
TSA is nestled in a multi-tenant office building on Second Street in Wayne – just off of Michigan Avenue. Agency staff are divided between cubicles. It was busy and crammed and there are future plans to move TSA to a bigger facility in Allen Park.
Simpson greeted me at the door and we went straight to a small office.
Turns out, Simpson is new to TSA – he worked as business man until three months ago. Simpson said he was surprised to find himself heading the information and referral department at a non-profit agency.
Simpson told me that he really enjoys his job and finds it to be very rewarding.
In terms of services provided by TSA: I didn’t quite get a concrete answer. During the meeting, Simpson had a book in front of him that detailed the agency’s services. I noticed that: A book. I asked my question anyhow and the response was that which I already knew: Information and referrals.
Simpson said that case workers at TSA help clients work through virtually every sort of problem – from evictions to substance abuse. TSA employs case workers who have been in the field for eight to nine years, Simpson said, and many of them are great resources in and of themselves. I asked him if it would be okay if I called a TSA caseworker to help a client if I ever got into a jam. Simpson said that would be a great idea, and confirmed that TSA can be a great place to start with complicated cases.
I also asked Simpson about programs that I could get involved with through TSA as a representative of the Hannan Foundation. Two programs that he mentioned was MMAP (!) and delivering meals on holidays. I asked Simpson if people working for other agencies can be involved with MMAP. He told me that he wasn’t sure, but to contact Bettie Hughes. I asked Simpson to put me down for holiday meals delivery, for now.
So I didn’t get the tour I was hoping for and I didn’t get the concrete answer that I wanted.
What I did get, however, is a solid contact at TSA. I got a business card, a chance to ask questions and also, Simpson told me that he would be happy to send someone to the co-op to explain TSA to members if I would like (heck yeah!).
All of that was worth a short drive and a handshake, I think.
Douglas Simpson can be reached directly at 734-727-2052. His e-mail address is dsimpson@tsalink.org.