This CAN include, depending on your needs: laundry, general housework, help with personal hygiene, shopping, cooking, general errands, and medical transportation.
In itself, this is a great and good concept, but the program itself is set up on a 30, or more, year old model. AND to top it off, was really set up to 'compensate' relatives who care for the disabled of any age, with a pittance.
I am currently 'assessed' to receive 12 hours a week in services. Which roughly breaks down to three 4 hour sessions per week.
The 'tasks' I'm approved for include: shopping, errands, laundry, food preparation, general housework, and shower/dressing help.
The problems are:
1) Few if any people want to do this work, even as a part-time extra job. If you don't have a willing relative (and many of us do not), good luck in finding someone reputable to hire, even it they don't speak, read, write your language.
2) The pay is minimal. There are NO perks (like mileage, vacations, sick leave, etc) for the caregiver. Not only are all the routine deductions made from the caregiver's check, BUT mandatory MONTHLY union dues are deducted, even if only 2 hours are worked that month!
3) Many of the services are DUPLICATES of services now available in the community, through companies/corporations that really do it better (and probably cheaper). But we, as recipients, are not allowed these choices.
SHOPPING: My pharmacy delivers for free. My wheelchair service folks come here. I use a 'Mobile Physician' that comes here for my Primary Medical Care.
And I now do all my grocery/household shopping on line. I get exactly what I want for a small delivery fee. Which is not reimbursed to me, nor is the 'time' deducted from the IP's hours!
HOUSECLEANING: I'd much rather have a professional service, trained folks, come in and do this, even it it were not so often. There are many, many companies out there who'd love to have the work!
LAUNDRY: BUY me an apartment sized washer and dryer and I can do my own laundry! And there are still 'fluff & fold' pick up and delivery services available.
MEDICAL TRANSPORTATION: We now have public Disabled Transit that will take us anywhere AT any time (NOT just during the time an IP might be scheduled to work). Curb to Curb service. Wheelchair accessible. Cost $10 round trip. Again, this would be cheaper for the county (on a limited basis) and much more workable for those of us trying to keep medical appointments. But we are not given this option. We all USE this service, but are not in any way reimbursed, nor can we get monthly 'tickets' instead of the scheduled 'medical transportation' hours!
FOOD PREPARATION: Give me that $$$ and I'll order more 'frozen' foods and individual serving canned fruits & veggies from the online grocer!
Not to mention restaurants that deliver, or a neighbor that would not mind going by a Fast Food place once in awhile.
There is only me: I don't have a great need for a Dutch Oven full of rice or stew or soup. Then too, there is MEALS ON WHEELS, but that costs $8 DAY here if you are not over 65, no matter HOW disabled you are!
These well meaning, government services for the aged/disabled REALLY ought to come into the tech society so that people's needs are better met, and their budgets would probably be reduced GREATLY.
Recently, there have been MAJOR budget cut-backs in our state. Many of these programs have been drastically reduced (Thanks Arnold!). And I foresee that many people who could remain independent with just this little bit of help, will end up in 'nursing' homes (that CAN NOT pass state or federal inspections), where they don't belong and wont be happy, and the state will be saving a few bucks on one side and paying out a fortune on the other...
And, by the way, I feel that Adult Children should be BILLED for a portion of these services to their parents if they choose not to help provide for them!!!
BUT is this what America is about - making the sick and elderly pay the bill???
Service Dogs:
ReplyDeleteI am eligible for one and have checked it out. It would be a great help! Especially crossing big streets in my wheelchair! But, it's too problamatic.
1) There is a 3-4 YEAR waiting list in our area for animals.
2) You have to go a very long distance (the disabled van doesn't even go to these outlying cities, you'd have to transfer to couty disabled transit, each way) EVERY DAY for TWO weeks, for training at a cost of $10 per day. And then at regular intervals for follow up.
3) If you are too ill to do the above; to bad, no sevice animal for you!