Sixty Seconds Newsletter 
A Monthly Update from Senior Resources of West Michigan  
An Area Agency on Aging Serving Muskegon, Oceana & Ottawa Counties
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Save the Date!
Bill Saylor Open 
golf tournament  
benefiting 
Senior Resources
June 17, 2016
Chase Hammond Golf Course


Speak up! Anytime day or night. Report abuse and neglect.
855-444-3911

Senior Resources' Elder Care Specialists are available to assist with Options for Long Term Care
Call: 231-733-3585
or Toll Free:  1-800-442-0054
April 2016
Muskegon County Senior Millage vote OKd

County Commission approves ballot question
Muskegon County is one of only 11 counties in the state without a senior millage, but a coalition of interested citizens hopes to change that this August. The Muskegon County Board of Commissioners approved a ballot request for 1/2 mill (0.50 mills) for 8 years, estimated to bring in about $2.1 million annually. This would cost the owner of a $100,000 home about $25 a year, or 6 cents a day.

The Muskegon County Senior Wellness Committee, a group formed to advocate for a senior millage, wants to help our aging adults remain in their homes. Nearly 90% of older adults want to remain in their homes (AARP survey).

Muskegon County Senior Millage services will be available to Muskegon County residents who are 60 years of age or older. The millage will fund a variety of services that are designed to help an older adult remain safely living in their own home, with independence and dignity.  Services can include: Meals on Wheels, wellness programs and education, care management, home chores, bathing services, homemaker, medication management, respite care, transportation, adult day services, congregate meals and more. Based on income, service recipients will be asked to share part of the cost of their care.

Muskegon County has many services available to seniors, however budget cuts, lack of immediate availability of services due to waiting lists, and transportation can prevent many from accessing these services.  A senior millage would help provide stable funding for these programs and would help more adults age in place, thus saving significant financial public resources down the road.

Watch for more information in the next couple of months. If you'd like a speaker about the senior millage, contact Lisa Tyler at 231-733-3509, or email ltyler@seniorresourceswmi.org, and she can arrange a speaker for your group. 

Hearings on multi-year plan set
Senior Resources of West Michigan, the area agency on aging for Muskegon, Ottawa, and Oceana Counties, is holding two public hearings to listen to the comments and opinions of older adults and caregivers regarding our plans for service provision for fiscal years covering October 1, 2017 through September 30, 2019. 

The Public Hearings will include a review of the plan, including services we wish to fund, as well as an opportunity for participant input and comment:

Georgetown Senior Center, 7096 8th Avenue Jenison, MI 49428
May 5, 2016 at 12:30 p.m.
 
Tanglewood Park, 560 Seminole Rd. Muskegon, MI 49444.
May 10, 2016 at 1:30 p.m.
 
Advance copies of the plan will be available after April 20, 2016.    To receive one, please call 231-733-3519 or 1-800-442-0054. A copy may be picked up at the hearing or it is available for download on our website at https://www.seniorresourceswmi.org.
   
If you are unable to attend, comments can be submitted in writing by email to amy@srwmi.org or through the postal service to Senior Resources, Attn:  Amy, 560 Seminole Rd., Muskegon, MI  49444.

Senior Resources administers a variety of federal, state, local and private funds to support services such as in-home care, senior meals, transportation, programs for caregivers,  health promotion, legal and other services for older individuals aged 60 and over.  In addition to administering funds, identifying the needs of older adults and developing an area plan, Senior Resources informs and educates seniors, families, and the public on available services and issues affecting older adults and it advocates on behalf of all older persons within the Muskegon, Oceana, and Ottawa County service areas. 

AMERICAN DISABILITY ACT POLICY FOR ACCESS TO OPEN MEETINGS
Senior Resources will provide necessary reasonable auxiliary aids and services to individuals with disabilities who want to attend the meetings.  Persons with disabilities needing accommodations for effective participation in these meetings should contact Senior Resources at (231) 739-5858 at least 48 hours in advance to request mobility, visual, hearing or other assistance.
Contact Person: Amy Florea 231-733-3519 or 1-800-442-0054

 
Older Americans Act, CARE Act updates
The aging network is celebrating! . . . . The Older Americans Act (OAA) has been officially renewed by Congress, with the U.S. Senate accepting the amendments adopted by the House of Representatives in late March.  S. 192 now goes to the President's desk and he is expected to sign it.  The reauthorization makes minor tweaks to the law, which expired several years ago.  In the meantime, OAA programs have continued to receive funding and operate as usual.  Reauthorization is a powerful symbol for the aging network showing Congress' support for its goal of helping older Americans live where they choose with independence and dignity.  
 
There was more good news in Lansing recently, with the passage of the CARE Act - S. 352, sponsored by Senator Margaret O'Brien (R-Portage).  The Governor is expected to sign the bill into law.  The Act will allow hospital patients to designate an unpaid caregiver (family or friend) to receive training in caring for the patient once they are back home.  AARP Michigan led the charge for the introduction and passage of the bill.  The CARE Act was also a plank of the 2015 Older Michiganians Day platform.
 
Speaking of Older Michiganians Day...the Steering Committee has just finalized the 2016 platform of issues for the May 11, 2016 event:
  • Address wait lists for MI Choice and other home and community-based services;
  • Allow communication on senior millage proposals;
  • Support adequate funding for elder abuse prevention and staff for Adult Protective Services;
  • Invest in the Dementia Care and Support pilot project;
  • Support Senate Bill 395 and House Bill 4719 for an income tax credit to pay for home accessibility;
  • Support affordable, accessible transportation options; and
  • Support "Heat & Eat" legislation that helps impoverished individuals who lost food stamps, including many seniors.   
Tickets are available from Area Agencies on Aging. For more information:  www.oldermichiganiansday.com, Facebook: Older Michiganians Day,  or Twitter: @Older_MI_Day.
    
Article reprinted with permission from The Area Agencies on Aging Association of Michigan Associate Member News 
Senior Resources of West Michigan Inc