In response to your article, "Fraud haunts caregiver programs", you fail to mention many positive aspects to a program like In Home Supportive Services(IHSS). IHSS allows for literally hundreds of thousands of disabled and elderly people to live in their communities instead of in costly skilled nursing facilities, assisted living facilities, and group homes. Also in 1999 it was ruled by the Supreme Court that it was less costly for someone to live in their own community with support instead of a nursing home. The Supreme Court went so far as to say that every state in the U.S. is required to come up with a plan for more community integration for people with disabilities. It should be known that the current administration led by Gov.Schwarzenegger has certainly not implemented any part of the Olmstead Act since they've been in office. It is a known fact that the current administration, despite outcries from the providers, the recipients, as well as many concerned social service agencies has decided to allow budget cuts to this program of up to $2.00 an hour, start effective July 1st, 2009. In some cases, the providers will barely make minimum wage. Providers as well as family members cannot work when they are taking care of a dependent child or adult. IHSS allows disabled people to not just live but to work and also get educated while being in their natural environments. This is extremely ironic because the Governor himself has disabled relatives that use the IHSS program. I guess the only answer to the budget cuts is to warehouse the elderly and disabled and at the same time put all the providers out of work. This makes no sense because health care costs will continue to rise for the disabled and elderly and the unemployment rate will do the same. It was stated recently in Oakland that the state could only come up with $8 million dollars instead of the $10.5 million needed to not make these cuts. It is nice to hear that the state is spending even more money it doesn't have by launching these frivolous investigations that will one day end up killing someone who is home bound and cannot find the support they need.
Sincerely Yours,
Nicholas Feldman
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