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Dear friends, I am writing to report that I have WON the battle to retain 13 hours of PCA (personal care attendant ) coverage each day, seven days per week, and to be allowed a night attendant. The case now enters a re-evaluation phase. My thanks go to God for giving me the faith, the endurance, and the spark. to emerge victorious in this first phase of my legal ordeal to receive home-care, and avoid unnecessary placement in a nursing home. On Thursday , April 19, 2001, I received official notice, by certified letter from the Augusta, Maine central office of the Maine Commissioner of Human Serivces, Kevin W. Concannon, that due to the risk to my health that would result from the October 23, 2000 home-care assessment, which cut me back to only 5 hours of PCA (personal care attendant) coverage per day, the 13 hours per day of PCA coverage I have been receiving since 1998, under the " Medicaid Waiver Services fot the Physically Disabled" is RETAINED. A new assessment has been ordered, "to be conducted as soon as possible." I am hoping this will restore my hours, but if it does not, I "will continue to receive the services " of 13 hours per day of home-care byPCA's whom I amm responsible to interview, hire and train. The 13 hours is continued if the new assessment gives me fewer hoours of daily home-care, until " final resolution of any appeals that may resuolt from the findings of the new assessment." This victory was achieved with the tremendous help of Helen Bailey, my attorney, at the federally-funded Disability Rights Center office, 24 Stone Street, in Augusta, Maine. I believe there is supposed to be a branch of the DRC in every state in the USA. THANK YOU all for any surface mail letters sent in support of my case, especially those written by Linda Herman and Camilla Flintermann.These apparently may have had more impact than e-mail or telehone messages. Maybe next time an unfavorable ruling happens to a person you know, whether a Parkinsonian, or someone suffering from another dreadful disease, my case will be a precedent. I also wish to thank new PIEN member Katie Wolfe of Wisconsin, for her moral and emotional support, and SteveSchwartz, for acting as a sounding board when I was under stress. Also, messages from Connie Tate, despite Jack's recent difficulties, from old friendsGreg Sterling, Maryhelen Davila, and HilaryBlue, and support form my current crew of PCA's made an immeasurable difference. There were also messages I may not have returned, from Joan Hartman and others that I cannot remembering right now. Finally I must mention the wonderful support I received from Angie Fusco, at the Parkinson's Action Network in California. Again, thank you all for being a virtual "family" for me. Ivan Suzman :-) ---------------------------------------------------------------------- To sign-off Parkinsn send a message to: mailto:[log in to unmask] In the body of the message put: signoff parkinsn