Also in this issue:
PVA President's Message
Gene A. Crayton
The Paralyzed Veterans of America has had a successful year, meeting the projected budget, launching Mission: ABLE, opening a Vocational Rehabilitation Center in Long Beach (Calif.) and another in Boston, and celebrating advance appropriations for the Department of Veterans Affairs and the signing of the Caregivers and Veterans Omnibus Health Services Act of 2010. Reasons & Remarks Redivivus
Richard Hoover, PN Editor
Congress is proposing changing the name of The Department of the Navy to The Department of the Navy and Marine Corps. Will this work? How will it affect the command structure? Send your comments! Concurrent receipt remains an issue. Some vets must choose between receiving VA compensation or their military retirement pay. Logically, veterans injured in the line of duty should receive both! Readers Respond
Disability Program Navigators can assist with employment, Bottoms-Up Bar feedback, Web site of tools and ideas to help people with disabilities, "open" beds in hotels/motels, fashion shopping tool. Living Well
Are second opinions as valuable as insurance companies make them seem? How do you obtain a second opinion? Also, My HealtheVet, the VA health system's Web portal and personal health record, registered its one-millionth vet in May. The Web site averages 19,000 new registrants each month. Do You Know...?
Alder Allensworth, LMHC, MM, CFP®
Fewer beds are available for old military personnel, and only those with service-connected injuries can qualify for them. The others must look at the private sector for nursing-home care. However, your service officer can help you access applicable VA benefits. What are the differences between skilled nursing care (medical rehabilitation) and custodial care? This article focuses on the latter. ALS Awareness
Is there a link between head injury and ALS? A study suggests the risk may be doubled. Mobility and More
The MV-1 is the first factory-built wheelchair-accessible vehicle (it is not a conversion but is built from the ground up), a "toy hauler" may be an accessible solution for low-end luxury camping, and the Manuscale® is a manual wheelchair that climbs stairs and other obstacles. On the Hill
Lack of action on FY 2011 Military Construction and Veterans' Affairs appropriations, VA general counsel determines scope of the Caregivers and Veterans Omnibus Services Act, House committee holds hearing on pending legislation and veteran's healthcare in rural areas, Senate hearing coincides with twentieth anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), Florida must provide community services to a female quadriplegic who would otherwise have to enter a nursing home. Money Talks
Daniel C. Jones
Death is a topic most people are uncomfortable talking about. But with planning, you can make sure your estate will be settled consistent with your wishes. Several documents are vital: a will, letter of instruction, durable power of attorney, living will, and durable power of attorney for healthcare. And then there's the matter of insurance—and disability insurance. Research Update
A diagnostic tool to detect heart attacks using a person's saliva is being tested at the Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center in Houston. Also, Kennedy Krieger's International Center for Spinal Cord Injury has released information from two recent studies looking at electrical stimulation to promote central nervous system (CNS) repair. Just for Women
Alethea Predeoux
To preserve the history of women-in-the-military trailblazers like Molly Pitcher, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) created the Center for Women Veterans in 1994. Through this facility, all veterans can learn of women's military history as well as remain informed of VA benefits, services, and programs available to women veterans. Travel Tips - Bob Alonzo continues describing a summer trip to Revelstoke, BC, Canada. Part 2 tells what's accessible to do and see in the area.
- The city of South Padre Island, Tex., loans Mobi-Chairs at no cost so visitors with mobility impairments can access the beach and take a dip in the Gulf of Mexico.
- Extensive renovations to the Fontanel Mansion in Nashville have made the home and grounds accessible.
- A federal rule specifically provides ADA protections to people with disabilities who travel on boats and ships.
- People have donated accommodations for use by veterans who received a Purple Heart while serving in Afghanistan or Iraq.
People in the News
Dennis Hendrickson receives a Purple Heart six years after his injury, and Judith Heumann has joined the U.S. Department of State as a special advisor for international disability rights. On the Job
Lacking the work history needed for eligibility denies thousands of people disability benefits. The Social Security Administration (SSA) says the number of application denials grew from 100,000 in 1999 to more than 650,000 in 2007. Also, the Center for Assistive Technology and Environmental Access (CATEA) at Georgia Tech wants input from employed people with disabilities. Fish Tales
It's summertime, and the fishing was easy at the Lone Star PVA Bass Tournament and the North Central PVA/South Dakota Firefighters annual Walleye Tournament. Sports and Recreation
The Kentucky-Indiana PVA chapter and National Rifle Association's Disabled Shooting Services sponsored an adaptive shooting clinic. Also, Jerry Garner developed the Thornlea so wheelchair users can enjoy horse-drawn carriages. Newsbeat
GI Bill has sixty-sixth anniversary, VA seeks to simplify claiming service-connection for PTSD, Courage Center's Activity Based Locomotor Exercise (ABLE) program receives recognition, VA will develop a fully automated online system for handling vets' disability compensation claims, and free canine eye exams double this year. Information Center
Joni Eareckson Tada's A Place of Healing, Francesco Clark's Walking Papers, and The Caregiver's Path to Compassionate Decision Making: Making Choices for Those Who Can't, Bariatric catalog, and the SCI Forum video "Communication in Dating and Relationships After Spinal Cord Injury are sources of inspiration as well as information. Innovations
The Leg Loop Leg Lift helps people reposition their legs and feet, the Stevens Pool Ladder aids swimming-pool access, and the Invisible Dry Spray Shampoo reportedly is easy to use and has no residue. And Finally
Linda Hutchinson
It was the realization of a dream: meeting and having a photo taken with NASCAR "king" Richard Petty! Plus, it was a great night to benefit PVA. |
