News at a Glance

 

Home’s residents were
improperly restrained

Residents of the state’s home for the developmentally disabled in Cambridge were improperly handcuffed as punishment and as a form of behavior control, according to state investigators. The Minnesota Extended Treatment Program or METO is a short-term residential treatment facility with 48 beds. Handcuffs and ankle restraints were used at the facility for minor behavior problems and not for safety reasons as required by law. The abuse, which occurred over a two-year period, is detailed in a report made public in September by the state’s Ombudsman for Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities. State officials admitted to the violations but also said the practice was halted last spring. Roberta Opheim, state mental health ombudsman, said she took the unusual step of publicly chastising the facility so that the abuse wouldn’t happen again. In the report experts said the Cambridge staff could have used other measures to work with the residents, rather than the restraints. One patient sustained a broken arm and others were anxious and terrified as a result of the practice. The practice was revealed to state officials by family members of some of the residents.

Source: Star Tribune

 

Social Security announces
5.8 Percent benefit hike

Monthly Social Security and Supplemental Security Income benefits for more than 55 million Americans will increase 5.8 percent in 2009, the Social Security Administration has announced. The 5.8 percent increase is the largest since 1982. Social Security and Supplemental Security Income benefits increase automatically each year based on the rise in the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W), from the third quarter of the prior year to the corresponding period of the current year.  This year’s increase in the CPI-W was 5.8 percent. The 5.8 percent Cost-of-Living Adjustment (COLA) will begin with benefits that more than 50 million Social Security beneficiaries receive in January 2009.

While the pending Social Security increase is welcomed, it is expected to provide little relief for persons on Social Security programs. “The Social Security COLA is tied to the annual increase in the Consumer Price Index, which takes into account the rate of inflation for the goods and services people buy. The 5.8 percent COLA increase simply reflects that the costs of these items have increased by that amount,” said Paul Gada, Allsup’s personal financial planning director. Allsup is a national Social Security Disability insurance representation company. “The Social Security cost of living adjustment isn’t about getting ahead. At best, it’s about keeping up. Even that is going to be tough, as people have already experienced higher living expenses this year with no sign of that letting up near-term,” said Gada. He does note there are steps persons relying on SSDI can take to control escalating costs such as getting a handle on credit card debt, refinancing or seeking mortgage help and scrutinizing health care costs and programs.

Source: Allsup, Social Security Administration

 

Grants for Artists with Disabilities

Minnesota artists with disabilities have until Nov. 21 to apply for a Career Advancement Grant of $1,250 from VSA arts of Minnesota. Seven grants will be awarded to visual writers, artists, performers or artists of any medium. Artists must propose a project for which they need funding, as well as submit work samples, an artist resume and artist statement. The grant program, which is in its 13th year, is funded by the Jerome Program. This year’s focus is on rewarding upcoming arts projects. The program is open to any Minnesota resident whose disability meets the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) definition. Artwork prepared for educational credit is not eligible. For an application or more info, go to www.vsaartsmn.org, call 612-332-3888 or 800-801-3883, voice/TTY, or email jon@vsaartsmn.org. Please specify if you need a format other than print or e-mail (PC diskette, audiotape, Braille or large print).

Source: VSA arts

 

Movie prompts community protests

Another movie has sparked protests from the disability community. Blindness, which stars Julianne Moore and Mark Ruffalo, focuses on a mysterious illness that strikes a city. The community’s residents are left blind and are quarantined by the government in an old asylum for the mentally ill. Chaos ensues as the residents victimize each other. The movie was protested in Rochester by the National Federation of the Blind of Minnesota. “This is the kind of movie that’s going to make my life harder,” said Jennifer Dunnam, president of NFB Minnesota. “The people in this movie just seem to lose all capacity for creativity and for taking care of themselves, and it’s a problem when real people already think that about blind people.” Protests were planned around the country. The movie by Miramax Films has been marketed as a parable about the triumph of the human spirit when civilization breaks down but that marketing tool has also raised objections among blind activists.

Source: MinnPost, Rochester Post-Bulletin

 

Heroes in van rescue feted

The New Brighton City Council recognized police and fire personnel and private citizens Oct. 14, for their role in saving five adults with disabilities from an August mini-bus fire. The van, owned by Phoenix Alternatives, burst into flames near Interstate 494 and Silver Lake Road. Four of the five passengers rescued were in wheelchairs but the drive, Good Samaritans and public safety personnel were able to rescue everyone. “Is there a pattern here, and is there something that can create a safe environment?” asked Terry Higgs, director of administrative services at Phoenix Alternatives. “That’s what I’m hoping the insurance investigation should show us.” Fire investigators have been unable to pinpoint the cause of the fire, leaving open questions about the make and model of the vehicle commonly used to transport the country’s most vulnerable citizens. The Ford E450, which uses diesel fuel, has been linked to at least three other fires around the United States in the past few years. One of the fires, in Pennsylvania in 2003, caused the death of a man with cerebral palsy.

Source: Pioneer Press, AARP Bulletin

 

Administrator announced
for Minneapolis Veterans Home

The Minnesota Department of Veterans Affairs has selected Judy Kurki-Coleman as the new administrator for the Minneapolis Veterans Home. She will begin her new duties last month. Kurki-Coleman has more than 18 years of experience as a nursing home administrator. Her background includes work as a unit supervisor for the Minnesota Department of Health and as director of quality with Pathway Health Services. Most recently Kurki-Coleman was the campus administrator at Maranatha Care Center in Brooklyn Center. “Ms. Kurki-Coleman’s experience and background, as well as her passion for helping veterans, make her a great match for the Minneapolis Veterans Home,” said Gil Acevedo, deputy commissioner of Veterans Health Care for the Minnesota Department of Veterans Affairs. “Our goal is to make the Minnesota Veterans Homes a place of honor for our nation’s heroes. Ms. Kurki-Coleman will help us in our ongoing efforts to achieve this goal.”  Kurki-Coleman holds a bachelor’s degree from the College of St. Scholastica in Health Services Management and Gerontology and is a Certified Laboratory Assistant with the American Society of Clinical Pathologists. She also holds memberships with the National Association for Healthcare Quality, the Minnesota Health & Housing Alliance Regulatory Subcommittee and the Minnesota Department of Labor Worker’s Compensation Subcommittee. She will succeed Pam Barrows, who has served as the interim administrator since July, 2008. Barrows is the senior director of Veterans Health Care for MDVA.

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Last updated on November 12, 2008

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