Meji Home
Protecting Rights and Empowering Lives Throughout Michigan
MEJI protects the rights of and empowers low income older adults and adults with disabilities through individual advocacy, policy advocacy, litigation, education, and collaboration with local, state, and national partners.
Systemic Advocacy
MEJI engages in a wide range of advocacy efforts to address issues including elder abuse, guardianship, long term care, public benefits, and access to health care that affect the most vulnerable older adults and adults with disabilities.
Support for Individuals
MEJI’s ombudsman and legal staff support, advise, and advocate for older adults and adults with disabilities who receive long term care, are at risk of or under guardianship, are victims of elder abuse or exploitation, or face challenges obtaining necessary health care or public benefits.
Education & Community Engagement
MEJI provides extensive training in Michigan and across the country to consumers and professionals on topics that affect low income older adults and adults with disabilities. MEJI also collaborates with community and advocacy organizations and plays leadership roles in many coalitions, task forces, and boards.
Learn about Our Programs
An ombudsman program is an advocacy service that offers a way for consumers to voice their complaints and have concerns addressed, promoting policies and consumer protections to improve long-term services and supports at the facility, local, state, and national levels. MEJI is proud to offer three ombudsman programs and additional programs that address the needs of vulnerable older adults and adults with disabilities.
MLTCOP The Michigan Long Term Care Ombudsman Program
The Michigan Long Term Care Ombudsman Program (MLTCOP) advocates for the health, safety, well-being, and rights of more than 100,000 residents in Michigan nursing homes, homes for the aged, and adult foster care homes.
MICPOP MI Choice, Community Transition Services, and PACE Ombudsman Program
The MI Choice, Community Transition Services, and PACE Ombudsman Program educates, supports, and advocates for individual participants in the MI Choice, Community Transition Services, and PACE Programs and promotes policy improvements in the state’s home and community based services programs.
MHLO MI Health Link Ombudsman
The MI Health Link Ombudsman program serves as an advocate and problem-solver and promotes systemic reforms for beneficiaries enrolled in MI Health Link, a health care program for beneficiaries enrolled in both Medicare and Medicaid in Wayne County, Macomb County, eight counties in southwest Michigan, and all of the Upper Peninsula.
MGDP Michigan Guardianship Diversion Program
The Michigan Guardianship Diversion Project is a pilot project in the probate courts in Bay, Genesee, Grand Traverse, and Muskegon Counties. It seeks to connect individuals at risk of guardianship with less restrictive programs, services, and legal alternatives to guardianship and to ensure guardianship is used only when it is necessary and appropriate.
MNHT&AP Michigan Nursing Home Transparency and Accountability Project
The Michigan Nursing Home Transparency and Accountability Project, working in collaboration with national experts and the National Consumer Voice for Quality Long Term Care, seeks to examine how Michigan nursing homes allocate millions of dollars of public funds and whether those taxpayer dollars are used appropriately to meet residents’ critical needs
News
Learn About These Topics
Options, Rights, and Quality in a Long Term Care Setting
Residents of long term care facilities have different rights, resources, and challenges, depending on whether they live in nursing homes, homes for the aged, adult foster care, or unlicensed assisted living facilities.
Home and Community Based Services
People who need long term supports and services but want to receive that help in their own homes instead of in nursing homes may qualify for a variety of state and local programs that may meet their needs.
Abuse, Neglect, and Exploitation
Older adults and adults with disabilities are too often victims of abuse, neglect, and exploitation. Fortunately, there are resources to reduce the risk of victimization and help victims rebuild their lives and regain their stability, dignity, and quality of life.
Decisionmaking for another person
Individuals who need help making decisions or managing their lives may choose or be required to have someone else make decisions for them but the goal should always be to maximize autonomy, dignity, and rights.
Medicaid
Medicaid is a federal and state health insurance program that provides comprehensive health care services, including long term care, to low income adults and children.
Medicare
Medicare is a federal health insurance program for people who are 65 and older and for some younger people with disabilities.