Funny you should ask! Despite the stalled economy, despite the common wisdom that South Jersey and particularly Cape May County seem to be singled out for benign neglect when it comes to funding and services, there is some “NEWs” to report in this New Year. If your 2012 resolutions include taking even the smallest steps to improve your quality of life, one or more of the new programs that follow may start you toward that goal.

As of Jan. 1, there is a new County Office in Cape May, the Department on Aging and Disability Services, located at the Board of Social Services in Rio Grande. Actually, it is a consolidation of the existing Department of Aging and Office of Disability Services, as mandated by the state. The personnel, the goals and the services offered by these individual offices have not changed in the new configuration. Even in the short time I have worked within this combined resource, I can see that both Aging and Disability Services --- and the public we serve --- will profit from the close collaboration.

Last Wednesday evening, I attended the first meeting of a new support group for hard of hearing adults. Carolyn Richards, who initiated and facilitates the group, got it off to an excellent start. CART captioning services were provided and there was a very informative presentation on the Sprint CapTel phone. In addition, the presenter, who is herself a member of a Hard of Hearing Support Group in Ocean County, shared useful tips on subjects ranging from hearing aids to cochlear implants to inexpensive kits that are useful for individuals with hearing loss during a hospital stay. Future meetings are planned for Feb. 22 and March 21 in the Maruchi Room at Cape Regional Medical Center from 6:30 to 8:30. Email: sjhardofhearing@gmail.com for more information.

Though already an established service, there is in 2012 a new monthly meeting date for the Un-limb-ited Potential, a support group for amputees and their families. These meetings will be held on the fourth Tuesday of each month at 1 p.m. in the Maruchi Room at Cape Regional Medical Center. Most meetings include an informational presentation, discussion of aspects of daily living, and sharing of ideas, tips, and contacts among the members. The group is informal, upbeat and welcoming. For more information, contact Audrey Smith (898-0803), John McDonald (861-5695) or Paulann Pierson (886-2784).

I was happy to learn that the Brain Injury Association of New Jersey has chosen Cape May this year as a new site for a free workshop on Brain injury Basics. According to the brochure, this workshop will provide an overview of brain injury including its cognitive, physical and emotional consequences. Also covered will be the effects of brain injury on families, and useful strategies, tips, and resources for families and caregivers. The workshop will be offered on Thurs., April 19 from 2 to 4 p.m. at Cape May Regional Medical Center. More information is available at 732-745-0200 or www.bianj.org or by email at info@bianj.org.

Also coming up at Cape Regional Medical Center is a new session of The Chronic Disease Self Management Program: Take Control of Your Health. This free six-week workshop, based on a Stanford University program and led by trained peer leaders, is for persons with any ongoing or long-term health condition. The goal of the program is to teach new ways to manage your health. Weekly sessions will be held from 2 to 4 p.m. on six consecutive Thursdays: Feb. 2, 9, 16 and 23; and March 1 and 8. Sessions will be held in the Maruchi Room of Cape Regional. Contact Bonnie Kratzer, (463-4043 or jkratzer@caperegional. com) for more information.

DID YOU KNOW?

• NJ Assemblywoman Valerie Huttle’s bill (A2878; companion bill S2028), designed to disseminate information about existing programs to families of people with developmental disabilities, was signed into law by Gov. Chris Christie on Jan. 5.

• The ABLE (Achieving Better Life Experience) Act of 2011 would give families a new way to save money for people with disabilities, without jeopardizing government benefits. It would amend the Internal Revenue Code to create savings accounts that could be used to pay for education, health care, transportation, housing and other expenses for people with disabilities. Under this legislation, up to $100,000 could be deposited into a so-called ABLE account without compromising access to benefits from Social Security, Medicaid and other programs. These accounts could be opened at any financial institution, and interest earned would be tax-free

Pierson writes from the Cape May County Department on Aging and Disability Services