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| PASC Board Meetings: A Place to Be Heard |
| One of the many roles of the Personal Assistance Services Council (PASC) is to provide a voice for all IHSS recipients in L.A. County. In fulfilling this role, PASC operates under a 15-member Governing Board that provides guidance to PASC's activities, represents IHSS consumers in various local and statewide issues, and is committed to improving the delivery of the IHSS Program and enhancing the quality of life of the people who receive and provide homecare services under IHSS. The members of the PASC Board are appointed by the County Board of Supervisors, and, in accordance with PASC's Ordinance, more than half are current or past recipients of homecare services.
The PASC Governing Board meets on the first Monday of most months to discuss issues and policies related to the senior and disability communities. These meetings are open to the public and provide a forum for IHSS consumers to have their voices heard. All IHSS consumers are invited to attend.
The meetings are generally held in room 140 of the Kenneth Hahn Hall of Administration located at 500 W. Temple St., Los Angeles, CA 90012. For information on upcoming PASC Board meetings, please visit PASC's website at www.pascla.org or give us a call at 877-565-4477.
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Attention IHSS Consumers and Providers!
You are cordially invited to participate in PASC's Second Annual IHSS Consumer and Provider Open House. This event will take place on Wednesday, November 5, 2008 at the Braille Institute located at 741 N. Vermont Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90029.
Please drop in anytime between the hours of 10:00 am and 4:00 pm. This is a great opportunity to speak directly to a representative from PASC and/or the IHSS Program.
Who Should Attend?
- Individuals needing information on the IHSS Program and/or PASC's services
- IHSS consumers seeking advice on how to locate homecare providers and manage their homecare services
- Registry providers seeking homecare assignments (Registry-approved providers will have the opportunity to review our homecare job listings and obtain direct referrals on the spot to consumers who need assistance. A valid California ID is required.)
- IHSS providers who wish to view training videos that can improve their homecare skills
- IHSS providers who would like to know where to call to handle late check and payment issues
- Individuals who wish to sign up with PASC Homecare Registry
We look forward to meeting you in person. Please call 877-565-4477 if you need additional information on this event, or click here to download the event flyer. |
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Flu Season Is Here |
Every year more than 200,00 people in the United States are hospitalized from flu complications, and about 36,000 people die as a result. The flu is a highly contagious virus that spreads from person to person through coughing, sneezing, or touching something with the flu virus on it. It can take from one to five days to become sick and the virus can spread before you know you have it. Symptoms vary, but may include a high fever, headache, extreme tiredness, dry cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, and muscle aches.
The best way to prevent the flu is to get a flu shot every year around October or November. Individuals who run a higher risk of getting the flu should check with their doctor about getting a flu shot. These include people who are 65 and older, children six months-18 years old, women who will be pregnant during the flu season, and people who have conditions like diabetes, lung diseases, asthma, immune system disorders, brain injuries, spinal cord injuries, seizure disorders, or other nerve and muscle disorders.
Check with your doctor about and before getting the flu shot.
There are some people who should not get the flu shot. They include people with allergies to chicken eggs, people who have had a severe reaction to the shot in the past, people who developed Guillain - Barré syndrome six weeks after getting a flu shot in the past, and children less than six months old. In addition, people who have a moderate or severe illness with a fever should wait until the illness is over before getting the shot.
For more information on the flu and flu shots, contact your physician.
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| National Caregivers Month |
| Homecare workers provide vital services that allow IHSS consumers to live independent, productive, and dignified lives. IHSS remains a successful program because of the dedication of many workers, which is sometimes under-appreciated. It is important that homecare workers receive the gratitude they deserve.
November is National Caregivers Month and is dedicated to the hard work that caregivers do. Consumers can express their gratitude to their homecare workers by letting them know that the work they do is appreciated. Every so often, say something such as "Thank you for assisting me" or "I really appreciate what you do for me." In addition, you can call the PASC Homecare Registry at 877-565-4477, ask to speak to an outreach representative, and let us know how much your worker means to you.
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| Do you have questions about PASC and the IHSS Program? Do you have suggestions for topics to be covered in the PASC E-News? Send your questions and suggestions to e-news@pascla.org. PASC E-News is designed for you to get the information you need! |
| Understanding Schizophrenia |
Schizophrenia is a chronic and disabling brain disorder in which people may hear voices or see things which are not actually there (hallucinations), or may believe that other people are reading their minds, controlling their thoughts, or attempting to harm them (delusions). People with schizophrenia may be fearful and agitated and have disordered thoughts. Their speech patterns may not make sense to other people.
Many individuals with schizophrenia display a lack of pleasure in everyday life and speak with little emotion in their voice. They may also display a diminished ability to initiate routine activities such as caring for themselves or keeping a job.
Schizophrenia can be the result of genetic and/or environmental factors that the individual is usually exposed to while in the womb or during birth. Symptoms begin to show in men during their early teenage years or early 20s and in women during their mid-20s or early 30s. The first signs of schizophrenia can include a change of friends, sleep problems, or irritability. Schizophrenia occurs in men and women equally and occurs at similar rates in all ethnic groups around the world.
Schizophrenia is not a curable disease, but treatments can suppress many of the symptoms. Antipsychotic drugs can eliminate many of the symptoms of schizophrenia and can decrease the rate of recurring psychotic episodes. Most people stay on antipsychotic medications for the rest of their lives.
Psychological treatment can also help diagnosed individuals deal with certain aspects of schizophrenia, such as difficulty with communication, motivation, self-care, work, and maintaining relationships, which in turn helps them to attend school and work, and to socialize. Patients who receive psychological treatment tend to have fewer relapses and hospitalizations.
In addition, many people with mental disorders like schizophrenia utilize support system of family, friends, and caregivers. These individuals can help schedule treatments, explain the person's behavior to mental health professionals, ensure that the person continues to get treatment, and ensure that they take their medication regularly. All of this helps the person regain the ability to function in the world and feel supported.
For more information on schizophrenia, visit the National Alliance for Research on Schizophrenia and Depression's website at www.narsad.org.
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Tell us about your provider!
Has your provider worked for you for 2, 5, 10 years? Have you hired a provider who is much more than your employee? Here at PASC, we get calls from consumers when they need a list of potential caregivers, but, once a provider gets hired, we usually don't get a call back to hear how things are going. If you have had success with finding the ideal provider, we would like to hear about it. Please e-mail your story to us at e-news@pascla.org, or mail us a hard copy at
Personal Assistance Services Council
Attn.: Registry Outreach Coordinator
4730 Woodman Avenue, Suite 405
Sherman Oaks, CA 91423 |
| Prepare to Shake |
| As residents of Southern California, most of us have experienced one or more earthquakes in our time. No matter how many you have experienced, earthquakes always catch you off guard and leave little time to react. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has put together three important lists to help individuals get through an earthquake safely: What to Do Before an Earthquake, What to Do During an Earthquake, and What to Do After an Earthquake. Although there is no way to guarantee safety from injury or property damage during an earthquake, following these recommendations can significantly reduce these chances.
For more information on earthquakes and other disasters, visit FEMA's website at www.fema.gov.
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| Leaving the Hospital |
| Discharge from a hospital does not always mean that the patient is fully recovered. It simply means that a physician has determined that their condition does not require hospital-level care. Discharge planning is a service offered by most hospitals to help an individual determine what assistance they will need upon leaving the hospital. A discharge planner may be a nurse or social worker, or have some other title, and is responsible for making sure that the plan for discharge is "safe and adequate."
Depending on the individual's situation, they may need additional services once they leave the hospital. For instance, some patients who have had extensive surgery or a stroke may benefit from a short-term stay in a skilled nursing facility or nursing home. If the patient, in consultation with their doctor, feels able to manage at home with some support, they may go home with in-home physical therapy and some assistance with personal care. The discharge planner is involved in arranging for these services. They can also assist with arranging visiting nurse and home health aide services, equipment rental, home-delivered meals, and transportation resources.
For individuals who are recipients of IHSS and require more assistance upon discharge to their home, a discharge planner can assist with requesting a re-assessment to determine if the person is eligible for more hours. This re-assessment can be performed while the patient is still in the hospital. Also, for those individuals who are not recipients of IHSS, but would like to apply for the services, the discharge planner can assist with the application process.
Discharge planners play an important role in ensuring that the patient's care is continued outside of the hospital setting. Remember to ask to speak to a discharge planner any time that you are hospitalized.
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| Upcoming Trainings and Events
Click on training for more information |
For information on additional events, please visit the Calendar section of our website at www.pascla.org.
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| Legislation Watch
Click on bill for more information |
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