Is Parkinson’s Disease affecting your or your loved one’s ability to speak clearly?  Providence Health and Services is pleased to offer a two-part speech therapy program to help individuals with Parkinson’s regain and maintain effective communication: SPEAK OUT!^® followed by The LOUD Crowd^®.

This program is offered at various Providence locations throughout the Portland metro region as well as at Providence Medford in the southern part of the state.SPEAK OUT!^® places emphasis on speaking with intent and converting speech from an automatic function to an intentional act. Together, patients and their speech-language pathologist work through a series of speech, voice, and cognitive exercises outlined in a SPEAK OUT!^® Workbook.

Upon completion of SPEAK OUT!^®, patients transition to The LOUD Crowd^®. This maintenance program consists of weekly group sessions led by a speech-language pathologist. The SPEAK OUT!^® exercises are performed, and group members provide support, encouragement, and accountability to one another.

Participation in The LOUD Crowd^®, along with daily home practice, has been shown to help patients maintain their communication skills throughout the progression of Parkinson’s. For more information about SPEAK OUT!^® and The LOUD Crowd^® contact Karen Smith, Speech Language Pathologist at 503-215-1576.  To schedule a speech evaluation, please speak with your physician to obtain a referral.

Article Provided by:
Providence NE Rehab
Karen Smith
Karen.Smith3@providence.org
503-215-1576
Oregon.providence.org

Specialty Care Coordination is a critical program at Project Access Northwest. Helping committed patients connect with compassionate volunteer health care providers is the foundation of this program. Our care coordinators work with patients to assist them in navigating a complex health care system.

What is our Specialty Care Coordination Program?

Project Access Northwest connects un- and under-insured patients with the specialty care they need.

Who is eligible for the Specialty Care Coordination Program?

Our care coordination program focuses on low-income patients who are uninsured or enrolled with Apple Health. We serve patients who are cared for by a primary care provider in a safety net clinic but have an unmet health need due to lack of access to a specialty provider. Our patients are referred through a community health center, free or faith based clinic.

How does the Specialty Care Coordination Program work?

When the care of a specialist is required, the primary care / family doctor makes a referral to Project Access Northwest. Our intake specialist reviews the enrollment form for completeness. Once the referral is accepted, a registered nurse reviews that referral to determine the appropriate specialty and to ensure that all needed labs, tests and imaging are included. The care coordinator then works with the patient to schedule all appointments and schedule interpretation services as necessary.

The patient receives:

• Confirmation of specialist appointment
• Transportation details, including maps, parking instructions and public transportation options when available
• Interpreters when necessary
• Reminder phone calls

The specialist receives:

• An informed and engaged patient
• All the information needed for the patient’s care at the time of the initial visit
• Patients who show up for their appointments. Our program proudly boasts a no-show rate of less than 5 percent, compared to the Medicaid/uninsured average of 30 percent.

Why is Specialty Care Coordination Program important?

Project Access Northwest removes barriers and increases patient access to care, while reducing the paperwork and management burden on the specialty care provider.  This enables providers to focus on care and serve a larger number of low-income patients.

Article Provided by:
Project Access Northwest
info@projectaccessnw.com
206-788-4559
www.ProjectAccessNW.org

So, you just got the news from the doctor, and you walk away feeling like Wiley Coyote post-falling-grand-piano-accident.  You’re shocked and crushed, but also somewhat validated.  You knew something was wrong, but you’d hoped…not this. 

Your loved one has dementia.

You instantly picture the first conversations about this after diagnosis. The arguments. The heartache. You imagine telling your family and friends. Who will make the decisions? Will your newly diagnosed loved one LET YOU delegate, or even HELP?

Maybe you have quite the support system.  Maybe you’re utterly alone.  Either way, inevitably, dementia will progress, and your loved one will change. 

Dementia is virtually impossible to predict, and it affects everyone very differently.  There are many different kinds of dementia.  And dementia is full of unpleasant surprises, sometimes on a daily basis.

No matter how much patience, understanding, compassion, and–for goodness sake—LOVE you have in your heart for this person, your loved one is going to need a kind of help that you simply are not able to provide.  You cannot provide this for them because you are not a trained professional.  You have a job, a life, other responsibilities you need to attend to.  You have your own health to contend with.  And you cannot provide the care they really need, because—let’s face it—it’s too personal.

So, stop beating yourself up.  It’s time to think about THE BIG MOVE.  It’s time to look into memory care communities.

But sometimes your loved one seems to be ok.

The problem is dementia is unpredictable.  Today they may have forgotten that they asked the same question over and over.  But tomorrow they may take a double dose of their pills because they forgot they took the first one.  Or wander along a busy street looking for who knows what. 

So, what can you do?

First, educate yourself.  I highly recommend The 36 Hour Day by Nancy L. Mace and Peter V. Rabins. 

Two, look at multiple memory care communities.  They are not all the same, and one may stand apart in a way that will fit your loved one perfectly. 

Three, DO NOT—I repeat—DO NOT WAIT TOO LONG.  As their dementia progresses, their care needs will increase.  You do not want to have to make this decision because it’s suddenly an emergency.

Finally, be confident that you will make the best decision for your loved one.

Article Provided by:
Waterhouse Ridge
©Kyah Feldes 2018
503-747-0648
www.WaterhouseRidge.com

The Current Problem: A 2014 study by the Equal Rights Center found that 48% of LGBT-identified seniors “experienced unfavorable differential treatment in terms of availability of housing, pricing, financial incentives, amenities or application requirements.” Many LGBT older adults are forced to hide their sexual orientation and/or gender identity to avoid mistreatment, harassment and discrimination in senior living environments.

The Solution:  SAGE Metro Portland developed the Housing Equality Survey Tool, used to vet and identify LGBT-friendly housing providers in our area. In 2015, SAGE Metro Portland published the nation’s first local consumer guide to finding safe and welcoming housing for LGBT people as they age. The survey is now being replicated in other parts of the country.

In an effort to broaden our reach to consumers and to include more housing providers, we are launching a new partnership with our friends at Retirement Connection who have agreed to add a highlight “LGBT Designated” housing communities. This will provide more choices for LGBT older adult consumers when shopping for housing. To become “LGBT Designated” communities have shown a commitment to going above to become more educated and inclusive. This process includes minor adjustments to some and policies, as well as, ongoing staff trainings. The communities that chose to become “LGBT Designated” prior to printing the current edition, are listed on the page to the right. More will be added as we grow the program and increase awareness.

SAGE Metro Portland, a program of Friendly House, seeks to enrich the lives of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) people aged 60+ throughout the Metro region. For over 15 years, SAGE Metro Portland has been the preeminent social service organization focused on developing strengths and overcoming challenges for this vulnerable population.

We Offer:

• Case Management/Options Counseling
• Caregiver Support
• Information and Referral Services
• Trainings
• Community Outreach
• Activities and Special Events
• Friendly Visitor Volunteer Program
• Advocacy

Do you live or work in an LGBT-friendly senior living Community? If so, we want to hear from you!

To become an LGBT Designated Senior Living Community, or for more information, email:
mmicozzi@friendlyhouseinc.org

Article Provided by:
SAGE Metro Portland
(Services and Advocacy for GLBT Elders)
mmicozzi@friendlyhouseinc.org