USA Disabled and Aging community are forced to out

What do you think the USA should do to safeguard people's living situations?

In the USA people with disabilities and the aging communities are being forced out of their homes. Because of budget cuts there is less funding to medicaid clients. In other words the money that would normally go to assisted living facilities would be less and the people that live in these homes are getting less money to pay for the services. Assisted living homes are being sold everywhere and people left to try and find another place to live.

Where will these people live now? There is no law in place to support people from being kicked out of these types of homes. In the USA there is over 100,000 people living in assisted living homes instead of nursing homes which are protected by the federal government. People choose these homes because it gives them a more indendent life style. They are able to make choices for themselves and chose the services they want instead of a nursing home which they are told how things will be.

These people deserve to have dignity and the right to chose the services they want, but with out any safe guards ain place to protect them and moeny to support their choice they not only don't have a choice, but no where to live.

Here is a website to look at information on this subject in the state of Oregon alone:

Sample news coverage from across the state of Oregon:

· OPB, Jan. 12, 2009

Cutting services to seniors and people with disabilities?

www.aarp.org/community/AARPOR/video/OPB_..._services_to_/986811



KDRV (CH 12), Jan. 8, 2009

Study: Cutting senior services could hurt Ore. economy
kdrv.com/news/local/78473


· Medford Mail Tribune, Jan. 7, 2009
Cutting the lifeline? Study shows Kulongoski's proposed budget could eliminate help for some Southern Oregon seniors, reduce key caregiver jobs
www.mailtribune.com/apps/pbcs.dll/articl...90107/NEWS/901070308


Oregon News Service, Jan. 7 2009

The Long-Term Effects of OR's Long-Term Care Cuts
www.publicnewsservice.org/index.php?/content/article/7573-1

Should the government make sure there is support for these people when there is not money to support them and they are being forced to live somewhere else with no support?

afraid this is happening all over the US.

The number of handicapped people I met who are having to live on the streets is just plain disgusting.

Expecially as the US is supposed to be one of the richest countries of this world, and yet so many folks are not living, but existing well below what the WHO considers is the poverty line.

Over here in the UK, disabled and elderly are very well cared for, even if they themselves don't agree most of the time ;(

I mean, here they have free at the point of need health care, housing, income.

That is interesting to hear about the UK system. What is your system called? Here we have Medicaid or Medicare. It's for the disabled and aging community. We tend to out source programs to people only when cuts are made in the national budget those out sourced programs and those that run them are not recognized as a budget cut, so the money isn't given back in order to keep the funding to run the programs and staff. Careworkers and people that run these programs are having to close doors and people are left without food, housing, and places to go or transportation to get them around.

We have extra loan funding that the president has signed in for temporary help in some areas, however it's not enough to maintain services long term. Can you imagine living somewhere and making it your home and them being told the money you have has been cut that provides you with health care, medical presciptions, caretakers, food etc. and now you need to leave? That's about the picture many are facing with disabilities and the aging community.

In the State of Oregon people are using services that help them live independently because they choose not to use the federal and state money that would be more expensive and instead have limited services. These services and used for people to come to their homes and provide limited care with medications and housing cleaning as well as food and personal care needs. Our state has made cuts that would force these people to no longer get these services and instead they would need to sign up for programs with in a nursing home with full time care and not alot of dignity or independence. Not to mention the bill will be much more money.

Anyway, off my soap box. I am interested in hearing more about the UK services.

cheers:)