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November is Assistive Technology Awareness Month in Pennsylvania.  To celebrate, the Pennsylvania Assistive Technology Foundation is hosting its sixth annual photo contest. They want you to Show Us Your Tech for a chance to win $500! Assistive technology doesn’t have to be complex or expensive to make a difference in your life.

Do you have a disability or health condition?

Then you’re most likely using assistive technology! It could be:

  • An Amazon Echo to control the lights, fan, and TV independently;
  • A piece of farm equipment to continue to do the work you love;
  • A hearing aid to spend quality time with your grandchildren; or
  • A grab bar next to the pantry to steady yourself while picking out ingredients for dinner.

This contest is open to US residents of all ages.

What kind of assistive technology are you using to do the things you want to do?

Upload a photo of YOU using your assistive technology and write about it in the caption. Get your friends to vote for your photo for a chance to win up to $500!

Entries and voting are open from November 1 through November 30. Winners will be announced on December 4 by 12 pm.

Learn more about the contest here. To spread word about the contest to other communities, use the media toolkit.

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Supporting a loved one with intellectual disabilities and/or autism requires planning and knowledge! What happens if or when others need to take over the care of your loved one? What needs to be in place? What things need to be identified as essential? Learn from other families how they are handling long- term planning during this two-hour workshop. It is appropriate for both siblings and other caregivers. Join PAFN and meet other siblings! See the attached flier for more information including registration instructions.

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The Administration for Community Living (ACL) and the Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Service (CMS) are hosting a webinar discussing the experiences of home and community-based services payers and providers in altering their service delivery models in response to the COVID-19 public health emergency. Presenters will also discuss how they have addressed social determinants of health (SDOH). This webinar is part of a monthly webinar series highlighting Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS) promising practices.

This webinar will be held on Thursday, November 12 from 3:00 pm to 4:30 pm ET.

Click here to register

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Phase 3 of the Department of Health and Human Services Provider Relief Fund closes NEXT Friday, November 6.  The HHS Health Resources & Services Administration (HRSA) has created a sheet describing the program and will host a webinar on Monday, November 2 at 3:00 pm Eastern.  Disability service providers are eligible for lost revenue and expenses due to COVID-19 even if they have received a previous payment from the fund.

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The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has released a video tutorial for providers in Inpatient Rehabilitation Facilities (IRFs) with standardized data assessment guidance and assessment strategies for the cognitive assessment—known as the Brief Interview for Mental Status (BIMS). The video is approximately 22 minutes in length and is designed to provide targeted guidance for accurate coding by using live action patient scenarios.

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The Office of Developmental Programs (ODP) has issued Announcement 20-106 in order to release the non-residential service locations that have been identified as requiring an onsite Heightened Scrutiny review from ODP. ODP is requesting public comment regarding these service locations and is asking stakeholders to identify any other settings that meet the criteria provided in the announcement.

Additionally, ODP is releasing for public comment the Heightened Scrutiny Onsite Tools (Attachments 2 and 3) that will be used during the onsite visit to determine compliance with the Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS) Settings Rule as well as with ODP’s policies and regulations.

The purpose of these onsite reviews will be to determine whether each service location can overcome the institutional presumption by either showing proof that the requirements contained in the HCBS rule and state regulations in 55 Pa. Code Chapter 6100 are currently met or by ensuring that the requirements will be met within a timeframe specified by ODP (but no later than March 17, 2022). If ODP determines that the service location does not currently meet the requirements but has a plan to meet them within the timeframe specified by ODP, the service location must be submitted to the Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services (CMS) for a Heightened Scrutiny review. CMS will then determine whether the service location has the qualities of a home and community-based setting or that of an institution.

These documents will be out for public comment for 30 days; comments will be accepted until 11:59 pm on Monday, November 23,2020. Please send electronic comments here. If electronic comments are being submitted, it is recommended to provide comments directly on the documents and to track the changes in the documents where edits are being suggested.

If written comments are being submitted, please address and send the written comments to Katie-Marie Wilson, Department of Human Services, Office of Developmental Programs, 625 Forster Street, Room 510, Harrisburg, PA 17120.

More information published by CMS on the HCBS rule, including Heightened Scrutiny requirements, can be found here.

The Residential and Non-Residential Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS) Provider Settings Self-Assessment Reports can be accessed via ODP Announcement 19-149.

For questions pertaining to this announcement, please send an email.

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The Office of Long-Term Living (OLTL) issued an updated guidance and tool that was previously issued on October 13, 2020 regarding the temporary closure and re-opening of settings. This guidance and tool were issued to support providers in their efforts to protect against community spread of COVID-19. The Community Spread Thresholds document has been updated on page two to show that the “Thresholds for Community Spread” section is not applicable to Structured Day Programs. Members should disregard the previous communication.

 

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