Proposed Budgets – Especially Senate’s – Fail To Protect Quality Care For Seniors and People with Disabilities
Tuesday, February 23
Tens of thousands of low-income seniors and people with disabilities are able to live in their own homes thanks to in-home care services. And tens of thousands more live in nursing homes.
But the proposed Senate budget today fails to adequately protect quality care for seniors and people with disabilities. “The Senate may be increasing revenue, but not much if it is going to protect key services for seniors and people with disabilities,” said SEIU Healthcare 775NW Vice President Adam Glickman. “These budgets threaten the quality of care for the most vulnerable, kill thousands of jobs, and reduce income for low-wage worker and their communities.” The House budget makes key improvements, though still makes deep cuts to hours of care for vulnerable home care clients.
The proposed budgets:
- Both proposals make deep cuts to hours of home care for 9000 vulnerable seniors and people with disabilities. This will leave these clients – like seniors with Alzheimer’s and people with developmental disabilities - alone in their home for longer periods of time with no supervision or help.
- The Senate proposal eliminates home care entirely for 1400 seniors and people with disabilities – people who have been assessed by the state as needing help with activities of daily living. The House proposal protects services for these vulnerable residents.
- Both proposals make significant cuts to home care agencies. The Senate proposal actually makes deeper cuts than the Governor’s budget.
- The Senate even cuts funding for the Senior Citizens Services Act. These services, which were protected both in the Governor’s and House budgets, provide funding for Information and Assistance (day care and day health), Senior Foot Care, Senior Transportation, Senior Nutrition, Falls Prevention, and Ombudsman programs across the state.
- Both proposals make deep cuts to adult day health services.