Home-care cuts may push more seniors out of homes

Ron Alvey/Staff Sandy Harrison of Dayton sits on her lift chair talking on the telephone as Becky English, an in-home aide, brings her breakfast.

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Local lawmakers hope to restore cuts made to home-aid program

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By Margo Rutledge Kissell, Staff Writer Updated 9:48 PM Saturday, August 8, 2009

DAYTON — Sandy Harrison had to quit driving three years ago after multiple sclerosis left her with only 40 percent use of her right leg.

The 65-year-old Dayton woman is thankful she is still able to live on her own with help from the PASSPORT Medicaid waiver home-care program. An aide spends 20 hours a week helping her with bathing, cooking, laundry and running errands.

“It helps me keep my independence,” said Harrison, who pays no cost for the services because of her low income.

Harrison is fortunate she got the service before lawmakers approved a two-year budget that included $30 million in cuts to the PASSPORT program. Seniors advocates say the move will put an estimated 10,000 Ohio seniors on waiting lists or force some into nursing homes.

The first 25 people in the Miami Valley were added to a waiting list Aug. 1 after only 75 seniors could be enrolled this month instead of the usual 100.

The number of names on that waiting list is expected to double next month and keep climbing, said Doug McGarry, executive director of the Area Agency on Aging that serves nine counties.

Those who qualify for home-care services may have to wait or be put in a nursing home, he said, “where cost of their care is three times the cost of their home care.”

Kathy Keller, a spokeswoman for AARP’s Ohio chapter, said she can’t figure out why lawmakers would slash funding to PASSPORT when you consider three people can live at home for the same cost of one person staying in a nursing home.

“It’s not an effective use of taxpayer dollars,” she said.

Keep reading: Local lawmakers hope to restore cuts made to program

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Bill in Brookville
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