The Sentinel Project is Launched to Monitor Nursing Home Care

The “Silver Tsunami” is coming. The moniker refers to the aging Baby Boomer population that will contribute to an estimated 70% increase in the number of people needing care in nursing homes. A new effort is underway to make sure the elderly are not taken advantage of or being abused or neglected while in long-term care facilities.

The Sentinel Project has been launched in the Health Care Fraud Division of the Office of Michigan’s Attorney General. Its goal is to make surprise visits to facilities suspected of abuse or neglect through metrics, complaints, and other data.

The Sentinel Project is a law enforcement effort that will collaborate with the nursing home industry and regulatory agencies. It is being rolled out now in preparation for the inevitable rapid increase in the need for more long-term nursing care. By the year 2060, there will be over 94 million senior citizens in the United States, according to projections.

Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel said, “We are dedicated to detecting and addressing any neglect or abuse of loved ones residing in long-term care facilities. Instances of substandard care must be eliminated, and The Sentinel Project will help accomplish that goal.”   

Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland

Get Ready for The Great Michigan Scavenger Hunt

Port Huron, MI — The Michigan Association of Convention and Visitor Bureaus wants people to get out and explore Michigan’s towns, cities, and scenery, and the organization is planning a statewide scavenger hunt from May 2 – 8th complete with hidden treasures.

The Great Michigan Scavenger Hunt starts with a check in on social media with one of the participating visitor’s bureaus. The Blue Water Area Convention and Visitors Bureau is the closest for those who want to find one of the 9 treasures hidden in the Blue Water Area. A map of all participating location is available <HERE>.

Clues will be posted on social media that will lead participants to a silver tin with a sticker on top that says, “The Great Michigan Scavenger Hunt”. Once found, the contents of the box belong to the treasure hunter. Prizes include gift cards to restaurants, shopping destinations, and Michigan activities.

After the scavenger hunt, the promotion continues throughout May, and Michigan travelers can share their favorite travel memories on Twitter and Instagram using the #MIPowerOfTravel. Ten winners will be chosen for a special Michigan Road Trip Travel package.

For more information about the local scavenger hunt, follow the Blue Water Area Convention & Visitors Bureau on Facebook and Instagram or visit BlueWater.org

Reporting for WGRT – Jessie Wiegand

 

 

 

 

Steps for Life Virtual Event to Help Families of Workplace Tragedies

Sarnia, Ontario — The Sarnia Steps for Life event is a fundraising walk that helps families affected by life-altering workplace injuries, illnesses, and deaths. This year’s event will take place virtually, and the online opening ceremony is on Saturday, May 1, 2021.

Participants can walk individually, or create or join a team, and walkers can walk wherever they’d like as long as it respects local public health guidelines. All participants who register on or before May 31st qualify for a chance to win a $1,500 VISA gift card.

Register for the walk <HERE>.

Funds raised from Steps for Life support Threads of Life’s family support services which help more than 3,000 families throughout Canada. Last year, the event raised $440,000.

In Canada, close to 1000 workers die every year from a work-related injury or occupational disease and many more are injured.

Steps for Life is also doing a fundraiser with Plantables, a plant service that ships garden-ready plants directly to your home. For more information about the fundraiser, visit Sarnia Steps for Life on Facebook.

 

Reporting for WGRT – Jessie Wiegand

$100K Gift to Help Equity and Inclusion Committee

As the saying goes, people put their time and their money into that which is important to them. The Community Foundation of St. Clair County is putting both human resources and substantial funds, $100,000 to be exact, into supporting the Equity and Inclusion Committee.

According to an announcement from the Foundation, the major gift is intended to bolster efforts at advancing philanthropy in communities of color throughout the region. 

Equity and Inclusion Committee Chair Shawn Shackleford said, “The Equity and Inclusion effort is the result of dedication and hard work of many in this community. This gift from the Foundation is validation of that work. It will allow the Equity and Inclusion Committee to continue to support minority-related issues and opportunities.”   

During the start of the pandemic, the Committee hired experts to guide businesses through the process to get financial help. They also facilitated partnerships with the Economic Development Alliance and the Blue Water Chamber of Commerce to support long-term success.

The Committee has recently supported community organizations like SONS, the Tuskegee Airmen Memorial, and Blue Water Indigenous Alliance.

Reporting for WGRT- Jennie McClelland

Senate Bills Gives County Prosecutors Money to Investigate Nursing Home COVID Deaths

State Senator Dan Lauwers, a Brockway Township Republican who represents the 25th District, has announced that the Senate has appropriated $250,000 for county prosecutors to pursue investigations into the use of nursing homes to care for COVID-19 patients.

Nursing homes saw some of the highest rates of infection and death at the onset of the pandemic. The policy of moving convalescing COVID-19 patients into nursing homes has been a point of contention between Governor Gretchen Whitmer’s administration and the Republican State Legislature for the past year.

In his Legistative Update, Lauwers said, “The families who have lost loved ones during the pandemic deserve to have closure. The governor’s failed policies are responsible for forcing our most vulnerable residents into living spaces with seniors who have tested positive for COVID-19. Our seniors now account for at least one-third of our state’s COVID-19 deaths.”

Senate Bill 27, introduced by Senator Jim Stamas of the 36th District, is an appropriations bill that will now move on to the House.

The Governor’s Office and the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services have consistently maintained that proper protocols were followed.

Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland

Payroll Tax Credits Available to Small Businesses for Paid Leave

The American Rescue Plan extends two important tax benefits to small businesses: the Employee Retention Credit and the Paid Leave Credit. The Paid Leave Credit helps small businesses provide paid sick leave to their employees who had to take time off work to care for themselves or family members with COVID-19, and the plan was recently extended to include leave taken to receive or recover from the COVID-19 vaccine.

The original Emergency Paid Sick Leave Act went into effect on March 31, 2020 and applied throughout the year. If a small business provided paid leave to their employees in 2020 and has not claimed the credit, they should contact their tax advisor to see if they can file an amended payroll tax form and receive their refund.

The Paid Leave Credit is related to the amount of payroll taxes an employer pays for their employees, not the amount of income tax paid. Therefore, the tax credit applies to nonprofit organizations with paid employees and to those who are self-employed.

Under the extension of the Paid Leave Credit provided for in the American Rescue Plan, businesses with fewer than 500 employees can receive a payroll tax credit if they provide paid sick and family leave to their employees dealing with COVID-19 by claiming the credits on quarterly payroll taxes from now until September 30, 2021.

According to the Department of Treasury, the goal of these credits is to keep employees safe and encourage people to take time off when they are sick and schedule time to receive a COVID-19 vaccine.

More information is available <HERE>.

Reporting for WGRT – Jessie Wiegand