Nearly 100 seniors from the Jane Addams Senior Caucus rallied to protest proposed cuts to the state’s Community Care Program today - a program that allows 51,000 seniors to receive needed care while staying in their homes. From the Chi-Town Daily News’ Alex Parker:
With Gov. Pat Quinn threatening to cut millions from agencies and services across Illinois, area seniors are worried that at-home care will be slashed beyond repair.
About 100 seniors gathered at the Thompson Center this morning to protest the cuts, which would slice the Community Care program by half, eliminating home care service for about 25,000 seniors. Standing in front of a mock “Wheel of Fortune” wheel, members of the Jane Addams Senior Caucus railed against Quinn’s plan, and poked fun at Illinois House Speaker Rep. Michael Madigan.
“The cuts are going to be really bad for seniors,” said Mimi Harris, 77, of Edgewater. “I understand we’re in a financial crisis, but this is not the time.”
The protestors are worried that many seniors would lose their caregivers and be forced to move into nursing homes.
Advocates say the Community Care program offers an alternative to nursing homes for seniors who are still able to live independently, but need some help to run errands or go to the doctor.
They say it’s also a cheaper alternative for taxpayers, who could be on the hook for $35,000 annually for each senior that moves to a nursing home. Studies show it costs about $7,000 to provide a Community Care representative.
Ruth Long, 83, has a caregiver come to her Edgewater home five days a week for three hours. She says her caregiver’s hours have already been cut back by an hour a day.
“That hour is precious,” says Long, whose caregiver drives her to go shopping and to doctor’s appointments.
Long, who has had a stroke, has a pacemaker and has suffered from heart problems, says the last thing she wants to do is go to a nursing home.
“I’d probably kill myself, because I don’t want to go to a nursing home,” she says. “I don’t want them to zombitize me (with medication).”
Harris said seniors would not get the same personalized care in a nursing home as they do with the Community Care program.
“Nursing homes actually diminish, I believe, the health of people, and add to the huge costs of health care,” she said.
To illustrate their point that the state was playing games with seniors’ lives, protestors gave the board game “The Game of Life” to a man pretending to be Madigan.
“Here is a real ‘Game of Life,’ so don’t play with ours,” said Jan Stovall, a member of the Senior Caucus board.
Quinn’s “doomsday” budget would also eliminate investigations into elder abuse.
UPDATE: From Illinois Radio Network and WGIL:
Senior citizens gathered in front of state government offices in Chicago Tuesday to urge Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan (D-Chicago) to adopt a tax plan that continues to fund the Community Care Program.
Ruth Long, a member of the Jane Addams Senior Caucus, says the governor’s proposed “doomsday” budget includes severe cuts to the program, which helps pay for at-home assisted care for senior citizens.
“The cost of one year of home care is roughly $7,000.” Long, a resident of Chicago, said, quoting a study by The Center for Research on Health and Aging. “By contrast, one year in a nursing home costs taxpayers well over $35,000 per senior.”
Seniors are also calling on lawmakers in Springfield to include $500 million in the capital budget for affordable housing.
According to JASC and Seniors Together Organizing Project, the estimated cost of funding Community Care to provide maximum benefits is roughly $580 million for Fiscal Year 2010. The “doomsday” budget would cut out $386 million.
Gov. Pat Quinn has urged lawmakers to pass his proposed income tax increase and balance the budget before the end of the week.
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