People who are able to survive and thrive in their own homes may soon lose their independence and their health if the Governors proposal to limit personal care services passes. Their only alternatives may be to move into managed care programs that are not designed for them, or to move back into institutions such as nursing homes.
Currently, 5,000 of the 73,000 individuals receiving home care have such severe disabilities due to advanced Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis, stroke, Alzheimer’s disease, quadriplegia and other disabilities, that they need assistance day and night. They are medically stable, but need personal care services to help them to go to the bathroom, administer a nebulizer or oxygen, and turn over in bed to prevent deadly pressure sores that require hospitalization, or stay safe when they wake up at night.
New York has just begun to implement a Long Term Care Assessment Center demonstration program. This demonstration should be given an opportunity to show that it can identify any over-utilization that might exist and substitute an appropriate level of service before a drastic statewide cut for thousands of vulnerable people who could be harmed by limiting care.
If you would like more detailed information on the Governor’s proposal, click here. If you would like to join our effort to change the Governor’s mind and you receive more than 12 hours of personal care, contact Heidi Siegfried a hsiegfried@cidny.org or 646.442.4741.
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