Senior News November, 2004 Vol. 25. No. 11

 

Published by the Humboldt Senior Resource Center in Eureka, California. HSRC is a non-profit community-based organization offering services for senior citizens, multi-generational families and caregivers.

Memories in the making taps into always-present creativity

Last chance to get $600 credit for Rx costs

Think About It - Not driving

CSL decides priorities

CNA cites judicial decision about covering patients

Media Q&A regarding the Informational Picketing

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CSL decides priorities

When the California Senior Legislature announced its priorities for the coming year Oct. 22, Eurekan Mary Dennison, our CSL senator, had reason to cheer. Her bill, Senate Proposal (SP)-4, Denture Identification Notification, had made the priority list.

State Proposals

Assembly Proposal (AP)-1. Financial Abuse Protection for Mentally Impaired Elders requires the transmission of a potentially abused elder's financial records to institutions to freeze the assets from possible abusers.

AP-4. Purpose of Prescriptions requires that all prescriptions contain a notice of the intended purpose of the drug, unless declined by the patient.

AP-6. Stroke Education Campaign establishes a Stroke Education Program to reduce the incidence of strokes in various facilities.

AP-7. Hearing Aid Availability and Cost requires that hearing aids be made available for over-the counter sales at reasonable prices subject to the regulation of the Department of Health Services.

AP-14. Quality Program for Canadian Drugs requires the establishment of a quality program to ensure the availability of safe Canadian drugs at Canadian prices to remain in effect until California prices become affordable.

AP-16. Residential Care Facility for the Elderly Inspections requires the reinstatement of annual evaluations of all RCFEs.

AP-20. Medi-Cal Administrative Costs requires a review of Medi-Cal administrative costs and the lowering of the costs equivalent to the costs of Federal Medicaid programs.

SP-4. Denture Identification Notification requires dentist to provide written information about denture identification markings.

SP-5. Skilled Nursing Facility Dental Screening requires that a dental hygienist examination be included in the formulation of a personalized treatment plan for prospective residents of skilled nursing facilities.

SP-14. Canadian Prescription Drugs requires the dissemination of information regarding approved Canadian pharmacies with web site links and permits the Department of General Services to contract with Canadian sources.

Federal Proposals

AFP-1. Elder Abuse Prevention Postage establishes a special rate of postage and a special postage stamp regarding elder abuse prevention and awareness.

AFP-2. Hearing Aid Availability authorizes an over-the-counter availability of hearing aids similar to reading glasses.

SFP-2. Social Security Offsets Elimination restores full social security benefits by repealing government pension offset and windfall elimination.

SFP-3. Protection of Retiree Health Benefits prevents companies from increasing profits by cutting or eliminating retirees' earned health benefits.

For more details about the top legislative proposals please contact June Hamilton, legislative liaison or Sandi Fitzpatrick, executive director of the California Commission on Aging, at 916-322-5630.