As a society, we have an obligation to make it possible for everyone to have similar opportunities to “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness”. In order for people with physical, mental or developmental disabilities to have these opportunities, government-funded programs are needed. There is a payback; good governmental programs help PWD work and contribute back to society.
The overall cost of placing People with Disabilities (PWD) in nursing homes is high. The overall cost of helping PWD remain within the community is much less. This is a fact backed by statistics! It makes sense too; in a nursing home setting, buildings, infrastructure, salaries, benefits, administration, service coordination and other overhead costs are essential to the operation of the system. Many of those same costs apply to home and community-based programs (HCBS), but the costs are at a much lower level. And for many PWD, being within the community allows them to enjoy a higher quality of life.
In Pennsylvania, the Office of Long Term Living (OLTL) has cut the hourly amount of funding to HCBS service providers, plus they have changed the billing structure to incremental hours. Within these costs are attendant pay, employer-paid benefits, workers compensation, service coordination and other associated costs. All of these costs are critical elements to HCBS; take even one element away and the system stops working. Everything done by a service provider relates directly to service rendered to the consumer.
OLTL is working under the premise that service coordination can be cut in order to save money. Service coordination requires salary, benefits and a facility from which deliver the service. In many cases, Centers for Independent Living (CIL’s) are the service providers. In Pennsylvania, many CIL’s are reducing service coordination staffing and are no longer able to provide an adequate level of service to PWD. People with physical, mental and developmental disabilities are now victims.
Politicians and policy-makers have an obligation. Many of them are effectively neglecting that obligation through both their action and their inaction. Their priorities are wrong; the balance is wrong. They are taking away the gains we have made as a disability community and as a society as a whole.
The programs for People with Disabilities are NOT Entitlement programs. There is very little abuse within these programs, yet our government tries to count the pennies while the dollars fly away. Our government is hurting people at their most essential level; affecting lives to the core. It is malacious!
I would bet that many of these same politicians and policy makers have not been touched by disability. If they were, their attitude might change.
