How to Avoid Near-Certain Failure When Applying for Social Security Disability Benefits

Speaker: Dr. Stan Hatkoff - Member of the National Association of Disability Representatives -

Dr. Hatkoff represents veterans and other individuals applying for disability with the Social Security Administration. You can visit his website at www.disability-representative.com.

As far as disability with SSA, there are several things advocates should understand:

1. What is the difference between SSDI and SSI disability, and how do you qualify for each?
2. How to understand the SSA impairment listings and the five-step sequential evaluation process (is my client disabled or not under SSA guidelines).
3. Representing clients for disability with SSA...an overview of the entire process, time requirements, state level involvement, and how to get paid. An inexpensive course to take to get properly trained for newbies.

Supplemental Materials

• Why Enter the Field?
• Website Order Supplemental Materials
• SSA form 1696 appointment of representative
• SSDI-SSI Intake Form
• Sample fee agreement
• Sample Disability Report
• Sample Physical and Mental Source Statements
• Sample Adult and Third Party Function report
• Physical Residual Functional Capacity Assessment
• Sample Residual Function opinion from physician - short form
• The "Grids" - used to determine if you are disabled with exertional limitations

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Who Says the Doctor Is Right? Ethics in the Physician/Patient Relationship Within a Clinical Setting

Speaker: Alice Herb, JD, LL.M - 

Alice Herb is currently involved in working towards amending Family Health Care Decisions Act (FHCDA) to expand its scope and clarify some of its provisions and to amend   the Health Care Proxy law to make it consistent with the FHCDA; awaiting final editing instructions  for publication of article in Academic Medicine entitled “Ethical Dilemmas Encountered in Clerkship Rotations”.

Special interest in clinical ethics, particularly in the provider/patient relationship, role of palliative care in high tech environment, the continuing dilemmas in human subject research.

Points covered include:

• The slippery slope of ethical decisions
• How ethical judgments are compromised when involving those of limited financial means
• The patient advocate is primary for scrutinizing application of ethical decisions and protecting patients from compromises in ethical values

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Behind the Hospital Curtain: A Day in the Life of a Healthcare Advocate for In-Patients

Speaker: Elizabeth Bailey, Author of The Patient Checklist -

Elizabeth Bailey is a Patient Advocate and the Author of The Patient's Checklist: 10 Simple Checklists to Keep You Safe, Sane and Organized (Sterling Publishing), called a "godsend" for patients and families by The New York Times. The book provides 10 user-friendly, common-sensed based checklists to help patients and caregivers navigate and better manage and monitor the complexities of high tech hospital care.

As a producer, director, and vice president of video production for several record labels, Elizabeth Bailey used checklists to oversee hundreds of music videos for a wide range of artists that included Whitney Houston, Sheryl Crow, Sarah McLachlan, Metallica and Rod Stewart. While helping her father through a long hospitalization that was the result of medication errors and miscommunication, she realized how production checklists could be adapted to help patients partner with their providers to get better, safer care.

She embarked on a career change, working on The Patient's Checklist for several years and enrolling at Sarah Lawrence College where she is currently completing studies for a Master's in Health Advocacy. While in graduate school, she has worked as a Patient Representative at a major teaching hospital in New York City. She is a speaker on patient engagement in the hospital setting for both patient and provider groups and conferences.

You can visit her website thepatientschecklist.com for more information about the book and a “look inside”.

Points covered include:

• The tragic medication error and consequent difficult recovery of a family member that brought Elizabeth Bailey to the field of Health Care Advocacy.
• Common reasons a patient advocate is called to the bedside
• The importance of listening, clear communication, and collaborative problem solving with both patient and staff. 

Case studies:

• When is A Health Care Proxy allowed to be a Proxy? Complex Issues with End of Life Care. 
• Poor, Undocumented, Non-English Speaking and Terminally Ill

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With A Little Help From Our Friends

Speakers: J.D. (Dan) Faccinetti and Carol Faccinetti, founders of HomeForever -

The Faccinettis are the founders of HomeForever, a company that supports aging in place through design and technology. The Faccinettis' approach is focused on adapting homes in an attractive manner as needs and functional abilities increase. Appling Universal Design — or design for everyone practices, our company focuses on practical and elegant solutions as well as state of the art products for people aging at home or living with disabilities.

In this session the Faccinettis will address:

1. How to maximize the functional abilities of the aged and easing the family caregiver's responsibilities.
2. Explain the types of accommodations that are available for different areas of the house.
3. Financial constraints – comparing the cost of residential modifications to institutional settings
4. Conducting residential safety checks.

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