Urgent Message for Caregivers – Contact Your Senators

I received the following message Friday evening.  I’ve already contacted both my Senators, please contact yours.

March 6, 2009

Dear NFCA Members -

Last week the House passed the FY09 Omnibus Appropriations bill that includes first-time funding of $2.5 million for Lifespan Respite.  However, there is significant concern that the bill could be delayed or even derailed in the Senate.

Please contact your Senators immediately (they are considering the bill right now on the floor) and urge them to support the omnibus bill and then mobilize your grassroots to do the same (Message Below).  If the omnibus fails a cloture vote in the Senate, Congress will revert to a year-long Continuing Resoution with most disability, health, education and social service programs funded at the FY 2008 level, and NO funding for Lifespan Respite.

All Senators should be contacted (see http://www.senate.gov/ for your Senators’ contact information), but the following Senators are leaning no or undecided and especially need to hear from Omnibus supporters:

Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine)

Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK)

Sen. Arlen Specter (R-PA)

Sen, Roger Wicker (R-MS)

Sen. Evan Bayh (D-IN)

Sen. Russ Feingold (D-WI)

MESSAGE: I urge you to immediately pass the Fiscal 2009 Omnibus Appropriations Bill and oppose efforts to pass a continuing resolution for the remainder of the fiscal year.

A continuing resolution would result in drastic cuts to vital programs that are already struggling to address the unmet needs of people with disabilities.  A continuing resolution does not permit even minimal growth in program funding to address inflation.

Moreover, long-awaited funding for the Lifespan Respite program would be completely eliminated.  This new program was enacted in 2006 to support the nation’s 50 million family caregivers who provide the backbone of long-term care in the US, but it has never been funded. This bill includes a modest $2.5 million for respite to help families avoid or delay much more costly nursing home or foster care placements.  In these difficult financial times, it is more important than ever that the federal government expand the safety net that protects people with disabilities and their families from untenable situations.

Please pass the Fiscal 2009 Omnibus Appropriations Bill.  Thank you for your consideration.

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The White House Agenda for Seniors Is Incomplete

For the past few weeks a lot of press has been given to President Obama and the Economic Stimulus Package.  While it is important that we try to get the country back on track economically, there’s still much to be addressed for our aging society and caregivers.  With that said, I went to the White House web site and found this information under The Agenda:  Seniors and Social Security.

• Provide Cheaper Prescription Drugs: Our seniors pay the highest prices in the world for brand-name drugs. To lower drug costs, Obama and Biden will allow the federal government to negotiate for lower drug prices for the Medicare program, just as it does to lower prices for our veterans. They also support allowing seniors to import safe prescription drugs from overseas, and will prevent pharmaceutical companies from blocking cheap and safe generic drugs from the market.
• Protect and Strengthen Medicare: Obama and Biden are committed to the long-term strength of the Medicare program. They will reduce waste in the Medicare system — in part by eliminating subsidies to the private insurance Medicare Advantage program — and tackle fundamental health care reform to improve the quality and efficiency of our healthcare system. They support closing the “doughnut hole” in the Medicare Part D prescription drug program.
• Provide Transparency to Medicare Prescription Drug Plans: Many seniors are enrolled in Medicare prescription drug plans that are actually more expensive for them than other available plans. Obama and Biden will require companies to send Medicare beneficiaries a full list of the drugs and fees they paid the previous year to help seniors determine which plans can better reduce their out-of-pocket costs and improve their health.
• Strengthen Long-Term Care Options: Obama and Biden will work to give seniors choices about their care, consistent with their needs, and not biased towards institutional care. They will work to reform the financing of long term care to protect seniors and families, and to improve the quality of elder care by training more nurses and health care workers.

These are good plans but short on specifics.  The agenda doesn’t address food stamps and Section 8 housing for seniors, nor does it address support and assistance for family caregivers.

This country is not prepared for the increasing number of caregivers and the financial burden on their families.  It isn’t prepared for the health issues related to caregiver stress and burnout.

The question is, how do we get these concerns in the hands of the right people.  I’m no lobbyist or activist but I know there are people out there who can help make a difference and get these items added to the White House Agenda.

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Our Promise To Gladys

When Gladys had her stroke three years ago, our most difficult decision was where she was going to live and who would take care of her.  Gladys is a widow with no children and no siblings.  My daughter, Nichole, and I made Gladys a promise – to look after her as long as we can; and, if possible, we will not put her in a nursing home.  And that is what we intend to do.

A few month’s ago I was talking to another Nicole, one of the managers where I bank.  Nicole’s mother is a caregiver for Nicole’s grandmother.  It is very difficult for her because Nicole’s grandmother is a rather large woman and Nicole’s mother is a small woman.  The main difficulty comes when the grandmother falls or needs help getting up.  There have been times when Nicole’s mother had to call the fire department to get her mother up after a fall.

Nicole’s mother eventually made the difficult decision to put her mom in a nursing home.  It was something that she agonized over for a long time.  You see, she also said she would not put her mom in a nursing home.  After a few weeks though, grandmother was back at home with her daughter.

I’ve talked to other people who are caregivers for their parents.  Most of them say that a nursing home is a last resort.  Regardless of the sacrifices and stress involved, caregivers want those we love to live out their lives surrounded by family and people who care about them.

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