Earned Income Tax Credit for Direct Care Workers

The Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) is a refundable tax credit for low- and moderate-income working families. Refundable means that it reduces what you pay in taxes and/or gives you money back. http://phinational.org/taxes/all-other-states/

Free classes on Dealing with Patients with Dementia

This two-hour training is designed to provide a comprehensive overview of information vital to all professional caregivers. Learn: • Overview of dementia and its causes • The stages of dementia • Understanding how to tailor tasks and activities to disease stage • A review of the dementia-friendly environment • Communicating with individuals with Alzheimer’s disease and related disorders • Understanding behavior as communication • Assistance with activities of daily living January 19, 2011 9:30 am —11:30 am Seely Hall Woodford Congregational Church 202 Woodford Street Portland, ME 04103 March 4, 2011 9:00 am—11:00 am Family Room First United Methodist Church 703 Essex Street Bangor, ME 04401 April 1, 2011 9:30 am—11:30 am Bluebird Conference Room Downeast Community Hospital 11 Hospital Drive Machias, ME 04654 April 1, 2011 2:00 pm—4:00 pm Calais Regional Hospital 24 Hospital Lane Calais, ME 04654 Alzheimer’s Association, Maine Chapter 800-272-3900 Toll-free www.alz.org/maine FOR MORE INFORMATION OR TO REGISTER PLEASE CALL THE CHAPTER OFFICE AT 800-272-3900. understanding the resident with dementia THESE TRAININGS ARE BEING OFFERED FREE OF CHARGE THANKS TO A GENEROUS GRANT FROM THE BORMAN FAMILY FOUNDATION. SPACE IS LIMITED. PRE-REGISTRATION MANDATORY.

HHS Increases Total LIHEAP Funding Available to Help Low-Income Families to $3.9 Billion

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius recently announced the availability of additional funding to help eligible low-income families meet their home energy needs, bringing the total made available since October 1 to $3.9 billion. These funds will go to states, tribes and territories under the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) and are available under the terms of the latest continuing resolution. LIHEAP assists qualified families with their home energy needs such as heating in the winter, cooling their homes in the summer, and insulating their homes to make them more energy efficient and reduce their energy costs. These block grant funds will supplement two previous releases of funds under continuing resolutions in Fiscal Year 2011. A complete list of funds available to states today can be accessed at http://www.acf.hhs.gov/news/press/2011/liheap_allocation.html Individuals interested in applying for energy assistance should contact their local/state LIHEAP agency. For more information, please go to: http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/ocs/liheap/ or http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/ocs/liheap/brochure/brochure.html

Minimum Wage Not an Option for Most Home Care Workers

• This summer, Rep. Linda Sanchez (D-CA) filed the Direct Care Workforce Empowerment Act (H.R. 5902) a bill that would extend the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) to include home care workers.
• This legislation would provide home care workers - who provide essential service to more than 13 millions seniors and people with disabilities - federal minimum wage and overtime protections. Home care workers are currently excluded from the basic workplace standards generally taken for granted by most working people - and poor compensation has led to a growing shortage of workers.
• Passing the Sanchez bill will be difficult, but it is crucial. And you can take action today to move the legislation forward:
• * On Facebook, become a fan of the Department of Labor and post this message: Secretary Solis, home care workers deserve minimum wage and overtime protection. It's time to change the companionship exemption regulations: http://bit.ly/a5pF1e
• * On Twitter, copy, paste and tweet this message: @HildaSolisDOL, it's time to end the exclusion of home care workers from minimum wage and overtime exemption: http://bit.ly/a5pF1e
• Read more about the campaign from the SEIU blog.