New U Of M Class On How To Teach Older Learners
For those interested in teaching older adults or those already teaching
older adults, a new class at the University of Minnesota will help
them learn more about the theory and the practicalities of this topic.
The class, Educating Learners in Mid-Life and Beyond, will be offered
by the College of Education and Human Development (CEHD) during the
spring semester of 2005. Registration is open now.
Educating Learners in Mid-Life
and Beyond will meet Saturday mornings, beginning Jan. 29 and ending
April 30. Experts from the university and the local community will
facilitate each session. This is a regular university course offering
and will carry three credits. It is open to both degree and non-degree
students. For information on tuition and registration procedures,
visit the College of Education and Human Development Website: http://education.umn.edu,
or call Mary Gupta at (612) 624-1221.
Interpreter Needed
Assist
human services staff to effectively and efficiently serve non-English
speaking clients by translating and reverse translating Hmong,
Somali, Oromo, or Spanish and English and perform related duties
as assigned. Volunteers must be at least 16 years of age. Contact
Ramsey County Community Human Services—Volunteer Services at 651-266-4090
for additional information or e-mail to volunteerservices@co.ramsey.mn.us.
Survey Results Reveal Strengths,
Weaknesses of PCA Services
Personal care assistants
are generally providing quality care that greatly helps people with
disabilities work and participate in their communities. But getting
enough assistance can be challenging for some individuals, according
to the results of a survey commissioned by the Department of Human
Services.
DHS manages the Minnesota Personal Care Assistance (PCA) program,
which helps 6,000 participants statewide with daily activities needed
to live in their homes, work and recreate. In 2003, the Wilder Research
Center, under contract with DHS, surveyed 455 randomly chosen PCA consumers
or their spokespersons about how the services affect quality of life
and ability to work. Survey participants also were asked about strengths
and weaknesses of the program.
Services provided by PCAs include activities of daily living, such
as eating, bathing and dressing; health-related functions assigned
by a licensed health care professional; activities such as meal planning
and finance management; and redirection and intervention for behavior.
Asked to name the single
most valuable aspect of the PCA program, most consumers described
how it helps them and their families to lead a more active, less
stressful life. Another frequent comment was that PCA services allow
the consumer to live on their own or with their family instead of
in a nursing home. They also talked about the relief it provided
for family members. The full report is available at www.dhs.state.mn.us/main/groups/
agencywide/documents/pub/
dhs_search_results.hcsp.
Arc Hennepin-Carver To Support
IDEA Education
The McKnight Foundation
has awarded a two-year grant of $100,000 to Arc Hennepin-Carver to
support the continued growth of What’s
the Big IDEA?, a program that helps parents of school-age children
with mental retardation and related developmental disabilities become
better education advocates for their children.
What’s the Big IDEA? introduces parents to the Individuals with
Disabilities with Education Act (IDEA) and outlines their children’s
educational rights under IDEA. The McKnight Foundation grant will help
Arc expand the program in Hennepin and Carver counties; support collaborative
efforts to bring the program to more culturally diverse populations;
and begin expansion into school districts across the seven-county metropolitan
area in collaboration with Arc Great Rivers.
For more information and
volunteer opportunities, call Arc at (952) 920-0855 or visit www.archennepincarver.org.
