Join this webinar to learn about sexual abuse in nursing homes. Presenters will discuss a variety of topics to help you recognize the signs of sexual abuse and immediately respond to it.
We will examine the full scope of sexual abuse in nursing homes, including: (1) its prevalence, (2) the physical and social signs of sexual abuse, (3) who is most at risk, and (4) who the perpetrators are. In addition, you will learn the protections the federal nursing home rule provides for nursing home residents against this abuse and how to respond to the needs of victims. Finally, we will equip you with concrete knowledge on how ombudsmen can advocate for nursing home residents who are victims of this type of abuse, including hearing from a special presenter on the ombudsman role in the Washington Alliance to End Sexual Violence in Long-Term Care.
“This story is difficult to look at.
This National Geographic pictorial article is “asking you to go on the remarkable journey of how a young woman received a face transplant because it reveals something profound about our humanity. Katie Stubblefield lost her face when she was 18. When she was 21, doctors at the Cleveland Clinic in Ohio gave her a new one.”
by Robert Christensen and Rebecca Nesbit
“The nation’s 1.5 million nonprofits do everything from fielding Little League teams to funding orchestras.
“Despite all the good these organizations do, some donors worry that the nation has more nonprofits than it can sustain. In America alone, more than 36,000 of them provide programs and guidance for youth and over 53,000 are health care facilities, for example.
“Having too many nonprofits could potentially spread donor dollars too thin, making it hard for these groups to raise the money they need to run effective programs. For instance, how many youth-focused organizations does one town require?”
Read this article at The Conversation in its entirety, click here.
“Pennsylvania Autism Census | The 2014 Pennsylvania Autism Census Update was released in the Fall of 2014 by the PA Department of Human Services, led by the ASERT Eastern Region. The Pennsylvania Autism Census is an administrative count of the number of individuals who are receiving services in public service systems. The 2014 update used data from multiple Pennsylvania systems.
Click here to see the full report.
Data for the 2011 report are shown here:
The Secretary opens this week’s Wrap-Up with discussion about grandparents coping with children affected by the opioid crisis … their grandchildren.
She and the Governor the governor met with “several area grandparents who have, quite unexpectedly and very unceremoniously, found themselves parenting for the second time around as a direct result of the opioid epidemic. An estimated 82,000 grandparents are the sole caregivers for nearly 89,000 grandchildren in Pennsylvania, and that number is increasing across the commonwealth due to the opioid crisis.”
Each week the Office of the Secretary of Pennsylvania’s Department of Aging releases a Friday newsletter with information relevant to activities, issues and events for older Pennsylvanians and persons with disabilities across the Commonwealth.
Click here download the newsletter as a .pdf file.
“It’s no longer enough to call a taxi or regular car service and hope that frail seniors can get in and out — or through the entrance of a doctor’s office on their own as the driver speeds off.”
by Janet Morrissey
“As America’s baby boomers are hitting 65 at a rate of 10,000 a day, and healthier lifestyles are keeping them in their homes longer, demand is escalating for a little talked-about — yet critical — health care-related job: Transporting people to and from nonemergency medical appointments.
“‘It’s going to become a massive phenomena,’ said Ken Dychtwald, founder and chief executive of Age Wave, a consulting firm specializing in age-related issues. ‘This is an unmet need that’s going to be in the tens of millions of people.’
“It’s no longer enough to call a taxi or regular car service and hope that frail seniors can get in and out — or through the entrance of a doctor’s office on their own as the driver speeds off. For people requiring oxygen tanks and wheelchairs, it’s an even bigger challenge, and long waiting periods are often required to arrange for specially equipped vehicles. Those needing transportation and specialized drivers covered by their insurance often have to wade through another labyrinth of red tape.
“Many older people require sensitive, skilled or specially certified drivers who know how to deal with someone who’s frail, uses a wheelchair or has mild cognitive problems. ‘It’s more than pick up and drop off,’ Mr. Dychtwald said.”
Continue reading this article at The New York Times, click here.
“A construction worker atop scaffolding next to the Southeast Expressway.” – JONATHAN WIGGS\GLOBE STAFF
By Felice J. Freyer
“A Massachusetts study released Wednesday sheds light on an overlooked factor driving the opioid crisis: on-the-job injuries.
“The report found that construction workers, farmers, fishermen, and others employed in workplaces where injury is common die of opioid overdoses at rates five or six times greater than the average worker.
“Having little job security or sick pay — as is often the case in high-injury occupations — was also linked to higher rates of overdose deaths, according to the study by the state Department of Public Health.”
This important message is from The National Council for Behavioral Health.
“In political advocacy, the first and most important step is deciding who will represent you and your community in Washington, D.C. The National Council is committed to helping increase voter engagement among Americans living with mental illness and addiction and their families. We are calling on you, our members, to get out the vote by running Voter Registration drives in your organizations this summer and fall. Join National Council’s Policy and Advocacy staff for a 1-hour webinar on August 15, at 2:30 p.m. ET to learn more. Download this toolkit to get a jumpstart!
Ageing is transforming our world. We are all ageing. Older persons are the fastest growing population group globally, reaching 22% by 2050 with 54 percent of that number being women, and almost 60 percent living in urban areas, with 46 per cent those aged 60 years and over living with disabilities. Older people experience complex forms of exclusion and marginalization based on a range of intersecting inequalities that reinforce discriminations based on age, gender and disability.
“The Gray Panthers (one of the few NGOs actively addressing the concerns of older people on the global stage, learn about them here) made a big impact at the United Nations recently. Sylvia Beales, renowned advocate for the rights of older persons as well as for social protection platforms in Africa and worldwide, represented The Gray Panthers at an important global summit on Global Development. As one of the globe’s most effective advocates on the rights of older persons, Ms. Beales proudly and effectively represented Gray Panthers. (If you want to be part of this effort, join The Gray Panthers Network, visit www.graypanthersnyc.org or call 917 535 0457).
“Beales had been selected as the ‘Lead Discussant’ at UN Headquarters on ‘Leaving No One Behind”’ in global efforts to assure inclusion of older persons and other traditionally overlooked groups. She made a compelling case in her remarks, reproduced in full here:”
Click here to continue reading this Senior Planet article.
Learn more about the Gray Panthers, click here: http://www.graypanthersnyc.org
“Shaina kisses her son Keydiel, five, in the yard of the school he attends in Yabucoa, Puerto Rico.” Photograph: Angel Valentin for the Guardian
by Amanda Holpuch
“For the first 36 hours after Hurricane Maria, five-year-old Keydiel and his mother Shaina were trapped by the toppled trees that blocked the doors to their home in Yabucoa, Puerto Rico.
“Eventually, neighbors cleared the sturdy tamarind trees, cutting by hand because there was no electricity. The mother and son emerged to find an island devoured by 155mph winds and harsh rains.
“Their immediate concerns were physical – finding food and water – but bubbling below were anxieties and trauma that would endure for months.”
