Tax Preparation Options for 2012

1/26/2012 4:15pm

Senior Neighbors will no longer be offering assistance with taxes. However, they have compiled a list of resources older adults can contact for help with tax preparation. Senior Neighbors’ outreach workers will help seniors problem solve tax issues through appropriate referrals, like they do with many other concerns. To contact Senior Neighbors, call (616) 459-6019 or visit www.seniorneighbors.org

H&R Block is willing to go to senior housing sites and senior centers and provide tax services like Senior Neighbors has done for the past several years.  They are willing to assist the seniors using the same suggested donation schedule Senior Neighbors used last year.  The contact person at H&R Block is Carl Underhill.  He has been volunteering with Senior Neighbors the last couple of years helping with its tax program, so he is familiar with how the program has operated.  Carl can be reached at 616-669-2081 or at carl.underhill@tax.hrblock.com

AARP will continue to operate their senior tax program at the Baxter Community Center.  They have the capacity to help many seniors with their tax forms at the Baxter Center and can be reached during tax season at 616-456-8593.  Phil Quist is the contact at Baxter. For more information, visit http://www.aarp.org/money/taxes/ .

The Kent County Tax Credit Coalition operates over 20 sites to assist people with tax forms.  For more information, call 211 or check this link: http://www.hwmuw.org/media/KCTCC_Coupon_English_2011.pdf

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Seeking Letters of Intent

9/19/2011 10:00am

Funding levels available are:

• Long Term Care Ombudsman                               $80.902
• Elder Abuse Prevention Education                      $14,027

The Letter of Intent is Due Friday September 23, 2011 at 12:00 p.m. noon to the Area Agency on Aging of Western MI, 1279 Cedar NE, Grand Rapids, MI 49503 or to proposal@aaawm.org.  Click here for the Letter of Intent.

Letters of Intent will be reviewed and appropriate agencies will be selected to continue in the proposal process.

Questions can be directed to Jackie O’Connor, AAAWM Assistant Director at 616.222.7002 or Jackie@aaawm.org.

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Kent County Senior Millage Letters of Intent

6/28/2011 8:45am

AAAWM is accepting Letters of Intent for 2012 - 2013 Kent County Senior Millage funds. Letters of Intent are required for all new agencies, as well as for current millage funded agencies who wish to add a new service. The letter is due to AAAWM no later than 12:00 p.m. on Friday, July 29, 2011.

There will be an informational meeting to answer any questions about the Letter of Intent on Wednesday, July 13, 2011 at 1:00 p.m. in the AAAWM conference room B at 1279 Cedar NE, Grand Rapids, MI.

Questions can be submitted prior to the meeting to proposal@aaawm.org. Questions will not be answered outside this meeting, however, answers to any submitted questions will be shared. Please do not ask AAAWM Contract Coordinators any direct questions, as they are unable to respond to individual inquiries.

Letters of Intent will be reviewed by the Kent County Millage Review Committee (KCMRC).

Agencies will be notified by August 12, 2011 if they are permitted to complete a full proposal. Proposals will be due September 6, 2011. Meetings with the KCMRC will be October 3, 4 or 5, 2011. Please save those dates to ensure your availability to give a short presentation to the KCMRC.

Click here to access the Letter of Intent.

Continuation Funding Forms

Current service providers will receive continuation of funding forms in early August. You will also be meeting with the KCMRC on the above October dates.

A 3 - 4% decrease in millage funding is expected for 2012 compared to the $6.4 million allocated in 2011.

Funding decisions are guided by current needs and community priorities. To learn more go to www.aaawm.org/providers/kent_county_senior_millage_providers or contact Jackie O’Connor at 616.222.7002 or at Jackie@aaawm.org

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Important Dates for Millage Providers

6/6/2011 2:20pm

The Kent County Millage Review Committee (KCMRC) met last week.  They received information on how well services were provided in 2010, how things are going in 2011 and made plans for 2012.

The 2012 Millage funding process will begin July 1, 2011.  The projected millage revenue is 2.1% lower for 2012 than it was for 2011. 

Here are some dates to remember for the 2012 funding process:

July 1, 2011 – Letter of Intent released.  Only new providers or current KCSM providers requesting new services should submit a Letter of Intent.

July 29, 2011 – Letters of Intent due

August 5, 2011 – Continuation Funding Forms released.  These are to be completed by every current service provider who wishes to request funds for 2012.  No exceptions.

August 12, 2011 – Proposal released for new services or new service providers.  Proposals will only be issued to agencies who have submitted a Letter of Intent and who have been approved by the KCMRC to proceed in the funding process.

September 6, 2011 @ 12:00 p.m. – Continuation Funding Forms and Proposals due.

October 3, 4, and 5, 2011 –Oral Presentations scheduled with the KCMRC.

If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact me or your contract coordinator.  If you are considering submitting a Letter of Intent, I strongly urge you to discuss your idea with us prior to July 1, 2011

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Senior Advocacy in Action Alert

4/28/2011 9:30am

Advocacy needed today!

Our advocacy is having an impact. Yesterday, the House Appropriations Committee voted to restore almost $8 million in cuts to senior meals, community services and volunteer programs in the OSA budget.  Rep. Al Pscholka (R-Stevensville) recruited three other GOP colleagues to muster enough winning votes to pass an amendment introduced by Rep. Joan Bauer (D-Lansing).

The full House is taking up the Community Health budget bill today.  Amendments can be introduced at this point as well and we need to make sure that the cuts are not put back in!

Please send short emails right away to the key legislators below and urge them to maintain funding for OSA/aging services in the Community Health budget bill.  

• House Speaker Jase Bolger                      jasebolger@house.mi.gov
• Appropriations Committee Chair               chuckmoss@house.mi.gov
• DCH Approps Subcomm Chair                 mattlori@house.mi.gov
• DCH Approps Subcomm VChair              petermacgregor@house.mi.gov

Here are a few more talking points you could add to your message:

• OSA services prevent seniors from going on Medicaid. 
• OSA services are extremely cost-effective.  The average annual cost of OSA services (meals-on-wheels and home care) was $1,000 in FY 2010.  In contrast, a nursing home cost an average of $68,000.
• There are over 6,000 seniors on waiting lists for OSA services like meals and home care.

Send messages now!

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Male Caregivers Needed!

3/3/2011 9:30am

Know a male providing care to someone with Dementia or memory loss?

Please click here to access survey. Survey results will help identify and develop programs to meet needs. Paper copies available by calling (616) 456-5664.

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Kent County Senior Millage Letter of Intent for Funding

7/1/2010 10:00am

The 2011-2013 Kent County Senior Millage Letter of Intent is available.  This form must be completed if an agency wants to apply for funding to provide services to older adults in Kent County. It is due to the Area Agency on Aging of Western Michigan (AAAWM) by 12:00 noon on Monday, July 26, 2010.

Once the Letters of Intent are submitted, the Kent County Millage Review Committee (KCMRC) will determine which agencies and services will continue to the next step in the funding process.

The Letter of Intent can be found in the right column under "attached files.

A meeting to discuss the Letter of Intent will be on Thursday, July 15, 2010 at 1:00 p.m. in the AAAWM conference room. AAAWM is located at 1279 Cedar NE, Grand Rapids 49503.

Questions can be submitted prior to the meeting to proposal@aaawm.org. 

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Senior Advocacy in Action Alert

6/16/2010 3:45pm

Ask legislators to fund OSA services for 2011 at the same level as 2010 and to support the Senate version of the MI Choice budget for 2011.

We need your help! The Conference Committee making the final decisions on the Department of Community Health budget (SB 1152) has begun deliberations. The Committee members will decide on funding for two critical areas for seniors – MI Choice and Office of Services to the Aging. Please contact them to preserve funding for senior services.

Background: 

Support for the Senate version of the MI Choice budget for 2011: The MI Choice Medicaid Waiver program provides home care services to people in lieu of nursing home placement at less than a third of the cost. As a result of MI Choice and other home care programs such as those provided through the Office of Services to the Aging, nursing home expenditures declined last year for the second year in a row. Savings to the state in 2009 are estimated at $30-$40 million, and because of this proven savings, the Senate has recommended increasing the MI Choice Medicaid Waiver budget to $196 million for the 2011 budget year.

Fund OSA services for 2011 at the same level as 2010:  Within the past year, programs funded by the Office of Services to the Aging (OSA) have been cut by $7 million – an 18% loss. The Senate is considering another cut of 8% for 2011, an aggregate cut of 26%. Totaling $2.3 million, the cuts would reduce in-home services, home-delivered meals, care management, volunteer programs, caregiver supports and other programs that help keep seniors living independently.  Last year, $4 million in OSA services saved Medicaid $140 million! We are not asking for an increase, just no further cuts.

Following are the legislators on the Conference Committee making the final decisions on the Department of Community Health budget (SB 1152), including OSA and MI Choice.

Chair:  Senator Roger Kahn  

senrkahn@senate.michigan.gov  517-  373-1760

Sen John Pappageorge 

senjpappageorge@sentate.michigan.gov 517-373-7350

Sen Deb Cherry 

sendcherry@senate.mi.gov  517-373-1637

Rep Gary McDowell  

garymcdowell@house.mi.gov 517-373-2629

Rep George Cushingberry

georgecushingberry@house.mi.gov  517-373-2276

Rep Kevin Green

kevingreen@house.mi.gov 517-373-2277

It is always helpful to also contact your own legislators, as well as the Senate and House leadership:

Sen Mike Bishop, Majority Leader, senmbishop@senate.michigan.gov 517-373-2417

Sen Mike Prusi, Minority Leader, senmprusi@senate.michigan.gov 517-373-7840

Rep Andy Dillon, Speaker of the House, andydillon@house.mi.gov 517-373-0857

Rep Kevin Elsenheimer, Minority Leader, kevinelsenheimer@house.mi.gov 517-373-0829

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Senior Advocacy in Action Alert

4/5/2010 11:00am

Vulnerable seniors have been victims of the state’s budget crisis.  Within the past year, programs funded by the Office of Services to the Aging (OSA) have been cut by $7 million – an 18% loss. The Senate has approved its version of the budget and included the $2.3 million in OSA cuts.  Now the OSA budget is in the House of Representatives. Your advocacy is needed to convince Representatives that more OSA cuts are ‘penny wise and pound foolish.’

What You Can Do:

Contact the members of the House Subcommittee (below) that will make a recommendation to the full House about funding for the OSA budget. 

• Gary McDowell, Chairman  (866) 737-4279 

          garymcdowell@house.mi.gov

• Shanelle Jackson   (877) 474-2635 

          shanellejackson@house.mi.gov

• Alma Wheeler Smith  (517) 373-1771 

         almasmith@house.mi.gov

• John Espinoza   (888) 830-0835 

          johnespinoza@house.mi.gov

• Vincent Gregory   (517) 373-1788 

          vincentgregory@house.mi.gov

• Fred Miller    (877) 347-8031 

          fredmiller@house.mi.gov

• Kevin Green    (866) 538-4677 

          kevingreen@house.mi.gov

• Matt Lori    (877) 262-5959 

          mattlori@house.mi.gov

• Hugh Crawford   (517) 373-0827

          hughcrawford@house.mi.gov

Additional Talking Points:

• OSA services help vulnerable seniors stay in their own homes.  They prevent seniors from going into nursing homes, spending down their assets, and then going on Medicaid.
• OSA services help seniors who are needy, some of whom are on waiting lists for the MI Choice waiver.
• Last year, $4 million in OSA services saved Medicaid $140 million
• There are 4,400 on waiting lists for OSA services like meals and home care.

Background:

The Governor’s budget recommendations for FY 2011 include more cuts in OSA services.  Totaling $2.3 million, the cuts would reduce in-home services, home-delivered meals, care management, volunteer programs, caregiver supports and other programs that help keep seniors living independently.  Without these services, caregivers get burned out and nursing home placement is frequently the result, with seniors spending down their assets and going on Medicaid to pay the $68,000 annual bill.   If these cuts go into effect, more than 2,000 older adults would be affected.

Home and community-based care has proven cost-effective and can save Medicaid money by preventing unnecessary nursing home placement.  Last year, $4 million in OSA services for the most at-risk clients saved Medicaid $140 million.

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Volunteers Needed

4/1/2010 10:00am

Volunteers are needed in Ionia, Kent, Mason, Mecosta, Montcalm and Newaygo counties to help individuals with their Medicare/Medicaid questions.

Training is provided and flexible hours are available.

For more information on the specific opportunities, contact aaainfo@aaawm.org and specify which county you would be interested in.

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