A New Journey - A Project of Heightened Independence and Progress

ABOUT A NEW JOURNEYS FOUNDER

Anne Ciavaglia McMahon

Anne Ciavaglia McMahon is a lifelong resident of Hasbrouck Heights. In 1976 Anne graduated from HHHS, followed by attending Ramapo College of New Jersey where she earned a degree in Social Work. On October 11, 2008, Anne joyfully celebrated her unity of marriage to Brendan McMahon of Carlstadt.

Anne was born with Progressive Spinal Muscular Atrophy. She is the youngest sister of Bob and Anthony, parented by Rose and Ralph Ciavaglia. Rose and Ralph, who influenced all they encountered, not only provided a full and productive life for their children, but pioneered a world of independence, opportunity and hope for people with disabilities and their families.

Dedicated to serving the community, Anne served as a Board of Education Trustee to the Bergen County Special Services School District for nine years, is a lifetime volunteer of the Muscular Dystrophy Association, member of the Hasbrouck Heights Community Access for All Committee and a Board of Trustee member of Heightened Independence and Progress.

Professionally, Anne Ciavaglia McMahon enjoyed a 27 year career in the field of human services. Serving in high level administrative positions in government, private and the non-profit sector, Ms. Ciavaglia McMahon directed the delivery of services for the elderly, people with disabilities and caregivers.

In 1999 Anne was appointed Director of the Bergen County Division of Senior Services. As Director, she provided leadership to her staff of over 25 people who were dedicated to the development and implementation of numerous programs and services supplied to older adults and caregivers within Bergen County. Anne maintained a working relationship with state and local agencies and organizations. She offered her expertise and knowledge to promote local, state and national improvements, systemic change and the expansion and delivery of innovative programs.

Anne began her tenure with the County of Bergen in 1981 as an Information and Referral Specialist. Within two years, she was promoted to the position of Director of the Division on Disability Services. In 1990, Anne left the public sector where her career centered on the independent living movement for people with disabilities in her position as Executive Director of Dial, Inc.

Prior to her employment with the Division of Senior Services, Ms. Ciavaglia McMahon was appointed to the Commissioner’s staff in 1993 as a Policy Advisor for the New Jersey Department of Labor. Anne advised the Commissioner on all employment-related issues for people with disabilities to ensure that equal access of services provided through the Department were implemented at the local level. Anne then worked as the Certification Administrator for the ADA Unit at NJ Transit. She was responsible for the development of a statewide system to screen potential passengers to be eligible for the Access Link Paratransit System.

In April 2007, Anne chose to retire due to health issues that were limiting her desired level of productivity. Without hesitation, she began to explore ways in which she could utilize her personal and professional experiences. Effective immediately, in conjunction with Heightened Independence and Progress, she launched A New Journey, a special project to support people with disabilities and their families.

As a volunteer, Anne dedicates each day from her home to meet A New Journey’s mission: To give hope and help to families impacted by the onset of illness or disability. It is a free service, supported by individual donors and various fundraising activities. For more information, visit www.ournewjourney.org.

Free National Educational Forum for Family Caregivers

Communicating Effectively with Healthcare Professionals
Date: Thursday, November 6 and 13, 2008
Location: Your Phone or Computer
The National Family Caregivers Association is hosting a free national TeleClass for family caregivers. This two-part series features two 1-hour phone calls. In Part I, participants will develop a basic understanding of how the U.S. healthcare system operates, understand their roles on their loved one’s healthcare team, be able to describe how good communication can facilitate optimum health care, and know how to prepare for doctor office visits. In Part II, participants will develop strategies to establish rapport/collaborate with their loved one’s healthcare providers, distinguish between different styles of communicating with healthcare professionals, compose assertive messages for communicating in healthcare situations, and be prepared for and cope with an emergency room visit. For more information and to register, please call 1-800-896-3650 or visit:

http://www.thefamilycaregiver.org/national_family_caregiver_month/teleclass.cfm

A New Option for Nursing Home Residents

What is Global Options (GO) Nursing Facility Transition (NFT)?

GO NFT is an initiative that provides a broad array of supportive services to enable nursing facility residents who are clinically and financially approved for long-term care through Medicaid to return to the community. By providing a consumer-directed package of supportive services, GO NFT maximizes the individual’s independence and dignity in a setting of the person’s choosing. GO NFT is a first step in rebalancing spending for long-term care services by providing a more equitable distribution of public funding between cost-effective home and community-based services and institutionally-based care.

GO NFT is part of the larger GO for Long-Term Care initiative that was introduced in 2004 and 2005 through New Jersey Gubernatorial Executive Orders and enacted in 2006 through the Independence, Dignity, and Choice in Long-Term Care Act (Chapter 23 of the Public Laws of 2006).

Statewide Respite Care Program

The Statewide Respite Care Program provides a variety of services to relieve the stress experienced by unpaid caregivers who provide daily assistance to elderly and functionally impaired adults.

Caregivers Are One In A Million ~ Resources for Help

Today in New Jersey, nearly one million adults are providing some form of unpaid caregiving service for an elderly or disabled friend or family member. This guide has been prepared by the New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services. It is designed to help caregivers identify their needs and access existing resources within their communities.

Caregiver Education Program

Caregiver Education & Support Program
201-336-6512
TTY 201-336-6505

The Bergen County Division on Disability Services administers the Caregiver Education & Support Program. This program provides in-home professional instruction and support to caregivers entrusted with the responsibilities of caring for someone with a chronic illness, disability, or disease. As there are no income guidelines to qualify, the caregiver must be unpaid and eighteen years of age or older. Among the services available are a registered nurse, occupational, physical, speech therapists,nutritionists, and a social worker.

Home Delivered Meal Programs

The goal of a home delivered meal program is to enable homebound adults to remain in their community with independence and dignity.

A nutritionally balanced meal is delivered to eligible individuals who are unable to prepare their own meals and/or cannot shop for food, and do not have anyone to prepare meals or shop for them.

There are a number of home delivered meal programs in Bergen County. Residents are served through government or non-profit agencies.

Disabled woman advises caregivers

Disabled woman advises caregivers
Thursday, May 3, 2007

By DENISA R. SUPERVILLE
HERALD NEWS

HASBROUCK HEIGHTS -- No one expected Anne Ciavaglia to go quietly into the sunset after retiring as director of senior services for Bergen County.
She did not disappoint.

Less than a month after leaving the job, Ciavaglia, 49, plans to help families wade through the redtape after suddenly becoming caregivers to ill or disabled family members.

Navigating the social services bureaucracy can be daunting enough when you know which strings to pull. For the uninitiated, it can be downright dispiriting.
"If you''ve never been in a crisis, people don''t even know what to do -- from ''how do I talk to the doctor?'' to ''how do I keep on top of the meds?''" said Ciavaglia, who uses a wheelchair because she has muscular dystrophy, a genetic disorder that gradually weakens the muscles and affects more than 250,000 Americans, according to the Muscular Dystrophy Association.

She has started a fund, A New Journey, which will provide peer counseling, financial assistance and referrals to families affected by debilitating illness. It will be affiliated with Heightened Independence & Progress, a Hackensack-based center for people with disabilities, where Ciavaglia has offered to volunteer and raise money for the program, said Eileen Goff, the executive director.

hip Partnership Announcement

From hip newsletter 2007/Q3

Anne Ciavaglia Partners with hip to Help Caregiver

It is with great pleasure that we report an exciting new program, “A New Journey,” in collaboration with a dedicated member and longtime friend of hip, Anne Ciavaglia. Anne, a lifelong resident of Hasbrouck Heights, embarked on her own “new journey” several months ago upon her retirement as director of Bergen County’s Division of Senior Services. Motivated by her firsthand knowledge of the value of the in-home care that has been so important in the lives of her own family members, Anne has decided to volunteer to raise funds and work actively with hip to help families in crisis as they “wade through the complicated maze of suddenly becoming caregivers to an ill or disabled family member,” as reported in The Record of May 3rd.