Well, it happened again.  Nearly two years from the time I posted this, my sister had to go to the hospital again.  This time, her group home staff noticed she wasn’t feeling well, something to do with her abdomen and her white count being elevated, so they took her to the local emergency department (ED) [...]

Today we have a guest blog from the Community Supports Director, Beth Lewis.  Beth is sharing about Companion services at ARC Marion, Inc
A service like Companion is described in the Agency for Healthcare Administration (AHCA)/ Department of Children and Families (DCF) Handbook as, “non-medical care, supervision and socialization activities provided to an adult on a [...]

Ten days ago, we posted how Governor Rick Scott imposed an emergency order with dire cuts to funding for those with developmental disabilities. We are ecstatic to say last Thursday evening those cuts came to an end! 
Florida Senate President, Mike Haridopolos, and Florida House Speaker, Dean Cannon, came to an agreement in the budget that will fund [...]

I met with a parent the other day who mentioned that her son with special needs had recently started school, and she had one of his therapists go with them to get him started.  It’s a good thing she did, because the goals that had been laid out for him by the previous program were [...]

Tuesday’s post was about holding children back that are born with disabilities.  I don’t quite get it, really.  I suppose I can understand the protective nature of parents wanting to keep their children from harm and uncertainty, possibly shielding them from ridicule and pain.  However, isn’t that real life?  It doesn’t make it any easier, [...]

Allow me to step back on my soapbox for a few days. 
Want to know how the Medicaid waiver works for the developmentally disabled in Florida?  This year, it goes something like this.  If you aren’t already on the waiting list, apply.  Get your name on the list and sit there for the next seven years [...]

I recently watched a story on ABC’s Good Morning America about a group called Flame.  The touring band of 10 members is quite unique in that each of them has some form of development disability ranging from cerebral palsy to autism to blindness to mental retardation and other disorders.  They all attend the Lexington Center located in [...]

Since healthcare is such a hot topic right now, I thought I’d add a little insight from my perspective.  No I’m not going to talk about how the system is broken or how the insurance industry’s regulations and mandates have wreaked havoc on the way our physicians are able to practice medicine… what I do [...]

I know there is a great need for information about the Medicaid Waiver, because it can be confusing and daunting to anyone just starting the process.  While I am aware that Medicaid Waiver systems are basically in place all across the country, (see map ) the state of Florida is different than most others and is unique.  We are [...]