Red
Rock Review
July - August 2008
PDF
version of Calendar and Newsletter - this may take a minute to download.
Assisting People with Disabilities
to live independently and
participate equally.
HOORAY FOR THE ADA!
Richfield
Clifford Roderick AmeriCorps/VISTA for Red Rock Center for Independence and other area services for the disabled are gearing up for the second annual Americans with Disabilities March and Celebration.
This year’s theme is “Acceptance Without Pity”. The event is to celebrate the signing of the Americans with Disabilities Act which took place July 26 1990 .This Act gave people with disabilities rights that made it possible for them to feel included in their communities and to remove barriers that existed that prevented their access to goods and services.
Many misconceptions and prejudices still exist in our communities. The event is a way of addressing those problems and recognizing the achievements that have been made.
The reason for the chosen theme is that most people with disabilities do not want to be treated any better or worse then any other citizen.
The event will start at 8:30am with a walking march from Richfield city offices 75 East center Street down Main to 400 North at the city park . The event will last until 4pm at the park. There will be a flag ceremony, presentation of awards, speeches from public officials and community leaders, entertainment, activities and food. There will also be venders and exhibiters from various area agencies. For provider information contact any area provider or agency or contact Clifford Roderick at 979-7724.
Cedar City
By Deb Vicencio
Americans with Disabilities Celebration is coming up soon and we will be holding this for the first time in Cedar City. This will be a fun and educational day for all those that attend. It will be held on Saturday July 26th at the Main Street Park, at 286 North Main St. at 10am. We will have speakers that will speak to us about Americans with disabilities, Terry Hawks from ARC of Washington County will talk about ADA and accessibility.
Larry from the American Legion will lead us with the flag ceremony. The Cedar City Boy Scouts will lead us in a short march around the park to celebrate the date that this important law went into effect.
We will have booths set up from RRCI, TURN Community Services, the Department of Human Services, the Medicaid Long Term Care Specialist, Cedar City Disability Center, Hard of Hearing Center, and a few others. Loose Connection will play Rock and Jazz music. We will have lunch and soft drinks for those who attend.
We will also have drawings for prizes like dinners at Applebee’s, a free night at the Marriott, Maurice’s gift certificate, Pura Vida for an hour massage, Rent-A-Center certificates, gift certificates from Christensen's, Jocelyn's Floral, Southwest Tanning Salon, Starbuck’s Coffee Beans, Hollywood Movies among others.
Come on out and join us as we celebrate the Americans with Disabilities Act, learn about what it can do for you and what types of services are available in the community for you and your family.
St. George
By Jim Starks
Come and join us on July 23 for our 18th annual A.D.A celebration at Bluff St. Park. This year the celebration will include guest speaker Dan McArthur, the mayor of St. George and more. There will be activities for everyone in your family. The celebration march will begin at 9:00 a.m. at Red Rock Center for Independence located at 515 West 300 North. We will march through the streets to celebrate the rights for American’s with disabilities. After the march, enjoy the activities as we listen to leaders in and around our community speak to us about the importance of the ADA and the rights for those with disabilities. The celebration will end around 10:30 a.m. we will have a Barbeque at the park. All are welcome. If you have any questions about the celebration and would like to help out, please contact Red Rock Center for Independence for more detail.
What is an Advanced Directive?
An advance directive tells your doctor what kind of care you would like to have if you become unable to make medical decisions (if you are in a coma, for example). If you are admitted to the hospital, the hospital staff will probably talk to you about advance directives.. Classes to discuss the new Utah Advance Directives that went into effect on 1 January 2008 will be held July 16th, 5:30 pm at the Zion's Way Hospice at 192 E. 200 N. Ste 101. To schedule a seat in the class individuals need to call 688-0648.
Where is My Equipment?!
By Chris Dial
When a consumer (you) makes a request for Assistive Technology (AT) it sometimes takes a very long time for you to receive the equipment. Let me explain the process that we go through to get the equipment:
After you tell your IL Coordinator you need something and an Independent Living Plan (ILP) has been developed, a referral is sent to the AT Coordinator. The AT coordinator will then contact you to make an appointment for a visit to talk about your exact needs. After the right device has been chosen, the AT Coordinator contacts vendors and asks for bids. Sometimes it takes the vendors a couple of weeks to send these bids.
After the bids are received the AT Coordinator sends an AT assessment along with copies of the bids to your IL Coordinator. The IL coordinator then assembles an AT Packet. This packet contains your ILP, financial eligibility information, the AT assessment with bids, and numerous other documents required by the State, along with justifications on how the equipment will help you become more independent.
After all the paperwork is completed and is in proper order it is sent to the Utah State Office of Rehabilitation (USOR) to request funding. USOR reviews the packet to make sure that there is a legitimate request for funding and all the proper paperwork provided. If there is a problem with the packet they send it back to us for review and change. After it is authorized by USOR and as long as there is still funding we can then order the equipment. If there is no funding left for the fiscal year, the packets are put on a waiting list in order (as they were received) and are reviewed at the beginning of the new fiscal year.
The entire packet process can take one to three months or longer to fully complete and be authorized when funding is available. Some of the more expensive items such as lifts and vehicle modifications take even longer. As these are considered biddable items and must be sent out on State bid.
All of us at RRCI work very hard to help consumers. Please try to have patience with the system and those who must work within it.
Be Prepared
By Mary Light
One thing that should be uppermost in everyone’s mind is BE PREPARED TO CARE FOR YOURSELF IN AN EMERGENCY!
If a disaster happened and everyone called 911 – NO ONE would get through! If roads are impassable, it could be up to 10 days before help can get to you. The local police and fire departments will need to work from the inside out. Therefore, it is vital that each neighborhood develop a plan to check on each other and coordinate their resources. Ideally there would be a person in charge of each block or neighborhood to check on everyone and post a sign notifying emergency services whether or not immediate assistance is needed. A uniformity of colors needs to be established so they are easily recognized by all agencies. The Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) is working towards this goal. CERT training is available through the police department.
To set up a training there must be at least 15 people who want to attend twice a week for 4 weeks at a cost of $30 per person. For more information call Valerie Seely at 627-4301.
Red Rock is working on establishing an emergency plan so that our consumers will be taken care of in a disaster. A really great source for communications is Ham Radio Operators. If you or someone you know is a Ham Radio operator who might be willing to be a contact, please call Mary at 673-7501. Instead of waiting until something happens make a point of adding to your water, food and medical supply every week . Make as many preparations as you can.
Self-sufficiency In Modern Times
By Lester Ruesch
Social isolation (having few or no important and special people to spend time with) in the US has been increasing over the last twenty years. More Americans today are reporting that they have no one in whom they can confide or can call on for help if they have a problem. There are a lot of reasons for this.
Two groups of people stand out as having even higher rates social isolation, the elderly and those with disabilities.
Social isolation can be seen differently depending on if you are the person experiencing it or are family, friends or helpers of the person. Family members, agency workers involved with the person, etc. may feel that the individual is isolated and have concern for their well being. The isolated person however, may not feel isolated or may feel that its impossible to change their situation. Also a lot of people may not like others coming into their lives. They may feel afraid that they may be taken advantage of, they are scared and so don’t want to accept offers of help. Others may not want someone new coming into their home, not wanting others to see the shape they or their home is in.
Social isolation can lead to a number of difficulties like more health problems (an increase in heart problems for example), less able to recover from health problems, mental health issues (depression being a major one), as well creating a situation where a person cannot think as clearly or fast as he used to.
A number of programs are available that can help isolated people. Companion programs can be very helpful and can help with chores such as paying bills, grocery shopping and helping with transportation to medical appointments. They support the person in their search for independence and social contact.
Becoming involved in community activities is another way of breaking social isolation. For seniors, involvement in senior center activities can be a big help. Participating in activities planned by other groups (independent living centers for example) can also help.
If you are feeling that you are socially isolated help is available. RRCI can help you find programs such as those offered by the Senior Center and/or 5 Counties Association of Governments. We also have activities planned by the Center that you can participate in. And we would welcome your help in planning activities that you would like to participate in. Give us a call; we would love to hear from you.
|
