Disney Days
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The Consumer Fraud Prevention Project is one of the volunteer locations for the Disney Give a Day Get a Disney Day promotion.
On Saturday, January 30th, 15 eager volunteers spent the day making phone calls to share the message of fraud prevention.
The callers made 1,350 calls that day! "If even one person receiving our message is spared from becoming a victim of fraud or scams we have been successful," said Program Director Ron Tatro.
There is still time to participate. Click on the Disney logo to register.
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Elder Abuse Training Available for Your Company or Organization
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Does your organization work with seniors or issues relating to seniors? Would you know what to do if a customer or client shared with you that they are being victimized by a family member, caregiver or business?
The Elder Abuse Prevention Project has been training law enforcement professionals and now has created a training suitable for other professionals.
For more information on scheduling and pricing, please call Ron Tatro, Project Director, 517-853-2399.
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Detroit Pistons Team up to Help Food Bank
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 Here is a fun opportunity to attend a basketball game while helping the Food Bank Council of Michigan. The
Pistons are devoting the entire day on March 2, including the Pistons vs.
Celtics game and TV/radio broadcast, to raise money for the Food Bank Council of Michigan (FBCM).
For every $1 donated,
FBCM will provide five meals, and $10 feeds a family for a week.
Proceeds donated will benefit YOUR local community.
Purchase a specially
priced ticket to the Pistons vs. Celtics game on March 2 at 7:30 pm at
The Palace of Auburn Hills. Save up to $30 on tickets and help FBCM! Click here to buy tickets.
For more information about the Third Annual Pistons
Care Telethon Benefiting Food Bank Council of
Michigan, click here.
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Your Gift Matters
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YEARS BEHIND THE WHEEL DOES NOT ALWAYS MEAN SAFER DRIVING
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 By Susan Peters, Volunteer Attorney
The Legal Hotline for Michigan SeniorsWinter provides many challenges to all of us driving in Michigan and can force us to pause and take stock of our driving ability. Older drivers, however, should question whether it is only the season that is affecting their driving confidence. Driving safely is important at any age. For older drivers, though, it has added significance. Common symptoms of aging can have an important impact on one's driving at any time of year. Changes in vision can have the most serious effect on driver safety. General visual acuity as well as night vision are both safety concerns. Some drivers experience a decrease in their reasoning and decision making ability as they age. Others experience decreased motor skills and increased reaction times or confusion and impaired memory. These threats to driver safety can be a result of the natural aging process, a side effect of medication or another situation that can be easily corrected. Continue reading the article
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| PLAN NOW TO CELEBRATE WITH US! |
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Elder Law of Michigan Celebrates 20th 
Anniversary During the Second Annual
Call to Justice Award Luncheon
Please join us for this milestone celebration! The luncheon event will be held on Friday, April 30, 2010 at the Country Club of Lansing.
This year's State Bar Law Day theme of emerging challenges and enduring traditions is well suited for observing our 20th Anniversary as an organization and the start of the Legal Hotline for Michigan Seniors.
Honorees this year include David L. Shaltz, JD, recipient of the Joe D. Sutton Call to Justice Award.
Vanguard Awards for Law and Aging recipients:
Olivia P. Maynard, MSW
Julia Donovan Darlow, JD
John W. Martin, Jr. JD
John Schneider, Columnist Lansing State Journal
State Senator Bill Hardiman, 29th District
State Senator Martha G. Scott, 2nd District
Tickets are $65 each or $450 for a table of 8. Tickets will benefit Elder Law of Michigan through the Access to Justice Fund. Click here for sponsorship and ticket information or call Alyssa Johnson at 517-853-2370.
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MEDICAID BOOTCAMP SUCCESS SETS THE STAGE FOR MORE IN 2010
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 FEEDBACK HAS BEEN SO FAVORABLE, ADDITIONAL SESSIONS BEING OFFERED
In January, Elder Law of Michigan and
former Board Member and volunteer David Shaltz, Esq. delivered another
pair of highly regarded Medicaid Boot Camps in January. The attendees
tell the story of a great training and top notch speakers:
"This was just an excellent seminar.
I appreciate the time given by all the speakers to bring the rest of
us up to speed, and to confirm or deny the Medicaid urban myths."
Rebecca McClear, Rebecca C. McClear, PLC.
"Exceptional talent! How
do you speak for a whole day and never bore your audience! That was
worth the price of admission alone!" Charlene Tope, Probate Support
Specialists, LLC.
"All of the speakers were
great. I left with enough information available for future needs. It
was money well worth the value." Susan Work, Madonna University.
"Excellent information and practical
guides to find further information. Overall, the training has
inspired me to try to learn more about these things." Margaret
O'Donnell, Charters, Heck, O'Donnel, Petrulis and Tyler, PC.
"Given the enthusiasm and interest
in the seminar, we are going to do more," said Kate White, Executive
Director of Elder Law of Michigan. "We are going to Macomb County
on April 9 and to the north on April 19, 2010," White confirms.
To learn more about these events and to sign up, go to www.elderlawofmi.org/training.
If you would like an email alert when the next Medicaid Boot Camp details
are confirmed, please contact us at info@elderlawofmi.org or call Alyssa Johnson at 517-853-2370.
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BENEFITS ENROLLMENT CENTER MAKES A DIFFERENCE
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 The New Year is Off to a Bright Start for This Client
Ms. D. of Saginaw, Michigan was screened by Gina Simon in the Benefits Enrollment Center in August of 2009. The screening tool showed she might be eligible for the Bridge Card and staff helped her fill out an application over the phone. Ms. D. was approved for $123.00 of food assistance each month and received her Bridge Card just before Christmas 2009!
That amounts to $1,476 in Food Assistance benefits each year! She is so happy that she no longer has to travel to various soup kitchens in order to get enough to eat or worry where her next meal is coming from.
The Benefits Enrollment Center also referred her to an organization to get assistance on her utility bills, and she applied for and received Michigan's prescription drug discount card. In addition, Ms. D. was approved for a free SafeLink wireless phone with 68 minutes each month! The annual benefit of the Michigan prescription card and the Safe Link phone is almost $300! Because of the Benefits Enrollment Center, Ms. D. now receives $1,776.00 in benefits annually.
Ms. D. states that ever since she went through the Benefits Screening, everyone has been great and her New Year has started out very nicely!
If you or someone you know needs assistance please call 1-800-347-5297.
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HOTLINE HELPS WIDOW WITH DEBT FOR WHICH SHE WAS NOT RESPONSIBLE
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The Legal Hotline for Michigan Seniors receives a fair
number of calls from clients who receive bills on accounts of deceased
spouses. Under Michigan law, spouses are not liable if they were
not a signator on the account, or never agreed in writing to pay it.
Usually the calls we receive are at the time the surviving spouse is billed.
However, in the case of the 77 year old widow who called us with her
problem, she had already been paying on the debt, unnecessarily, for
about 2 years. When the card issuer, a large bank, got greedy
and wanted to raise the monthly payment to an unaffordable amount, she
called us for help. We explained that she was not liable on this
debt and thus not obligated to make the payments she had been routinely
sending.
Our attorney helped her to write a letter- with a copy
of the husband's death certificate- clarifying his death and explaining
her exemption from liability for this debt. The bank advised her
they would no longer hold her responsible and closed the account, thus
saving the client about $150.00 per month for the next unknown and uncountable,
but certainly several years.
If you know someone who could benefit from our services, make the one call to 1-877- 347-5297.
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