Press Release for the Long Road Home II

For Immediate Release

The Long Road Home II

For more information contact:

Zen Garcia (678)770-1225

Cheri Johnson Mitchell at (678)755-6015.

Georgia disability advocates invite the public to join us on our 2^nd Annual Long Road Home campaign. 50 marchers will cross the state on a 4 day march and rallies, to promote support and public awareness for 2 federal bills, MiCASSA (S. 401, HR 910) – the Medicaid Community Attendant Services and Support Act and MFP (S. 528) - the Money Follows the Person Act and several Statewide demands.

MiCASSA establishes a national program of community-based attendant services and supports for people with disabilities, regardless of age or disability. This bill would allow dollars to follow people, and allow eligible individuals, or their representatives, to choose where they would receive services and supports. Any individual who is entitled or currently in a nursing home or other institutional services would have the choice where and how these services are provided. MFP would authorize the Secretary of Health and Human Services to provide grants to States to conduct demonstration projects that are designed to enable Medicaid-eligible individuals support for appropriate and necessary long-term services in the settings of their choice, often at a cost much cheaper than the annual cost of warehousing individuals in nursing homes or institutions.

Statewide we, the members of the community of people with disabilities, in order to protect the rights given by law, human dignity given by God, promote the general well-being and full inclusion in Georgia society of people with disabilities, do this day petition and demand the following from our governor and legislature:

1. That a money follows the person initiative be instituted in Georgia for the person initiative be instituted in Georgia for the purpose of aiding people in nursing homes and institutions, who do want to live in the community at large, to do so.

2. That the State of Georgia provides multi-year funding to the centers for independent living here in the state for the purpose of such transitions.

3. That the Governor of Georgia takes a position of support for the federal legislation known as MiCASSA.

4. That 1000 (MRWP) waivers for students aging out of school, adults already on the Waiting List, and people in institutions be funded. That the ICWP receive funding for 173 waivers. That the CCSP receive funding for 2000 waivers. We request these be included in the 2007 budget.

5. That the Governor recognizes and proclaims June 22^nd as Olmstead Decision Day.

6. That Georgia institute a policy which states any person in a nursing home or institution that expresses a wish on the Minimum Data Set to live in the community, be given information on what’s available and the contact information for the local center for independent living.

7. That the names of facilities along with the number of persons in the individual facility who have expressed interest in community living on the minimum data set be supplied to the centers for independent living and disability advocacy groups upon request.

8. We call for an immediate and permanent moratorium on the starvation/dehydration of people with disabilities.

Most states currently have no mechanism to determine if a person would want to stay in the community with support services such as community care or the independent care waiver. ADAPT wants state governments to utilize the available federal case management funds to determine appropriate community services BEFORE individuals go into nursing homes especially since once a person becomes institutionalized; they usually lose their apartment and all available support systems.

The Long Road Home II campaign seeks to educate the public about the nursing home, institutional bias of long term care in our country and the growing movement of acceptance toward physician assisted suicide. People with disabilities and the elderly community will always be an integral part of the collective whole. We propose MiCASSA and MFP are the answers to fixing our broken system of health care management. Join advocates from June 19, to June 22, 2005, as we march across Georgia informing people of these important issues.

June 19^th Augusta

June 20^th Augusta

June 21^st Athens

June 22 Atlanta

The March will start on June 19^th at Gracewood Hospital in Augusta and continue to the rally at the MLK Center and march to the Georgia Capitol in Atlanta on June 22^nd . We have 50 marchers who will participate all four days. Some events will be invitation only and some events will be open to the public. Listed below are the events open to the public. We hope you will decide to join us at any or all of these events.

**Long Road Home & Americans with Disabilities Act Celebration

Date: June 20, 2005

Location: Julian Smith Casino on Broad Street, Augusta, GA

Time: 11:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.

***Athens March & Rally

Date: June 21,2005

Location: College Square downtown Athens

Time: 11:30am to 3PM

***MLK Center Rally and then March to the Capitol

Date: June 22, 2005

Location: Martin Luther King Center at 449 Auburn Ave, Atlanta GA, 30312

Time: 12:00 Noon Rally at MLK Center

1:30 PM March to Georgia Capitol

Please note: we are asking everyone to use Marta to the MLK Center due to the lack of parking available. The public is welcomed to march to the capitol but will need to arrange to use Marta to get back.