CHICAGO: Metropolitan Asian Family Services (MAFS) and Universal Metro Asian Services, the two community based service organizations, face very difficult time because of Governor Bruce Rauner’s proposed budget cut of approximately $140 million to the Community Care Program (CCP)
The Community Care Program (CCP) is a resource that allows seniors to “age in place” in the comfort of their own homes. CCP provides essential Homemaker services (caregivers), Adult Day Care Services, and Comprehensive Case Management to help seniors avoid costly emergency room visits, hospital admissions, and Medicaid Nursing Home admissions.
Governor Rauner proposes to change the eligibility requirements for this program to make it more difficult for seniors to have access to these Medicaid cost saving services, and he wants to cut the amount of homemaker service each senior receives by 6 hours per month.
For last two months, MAFS and CCP have been in the forefront providing strong advocacy efforts to support our seniors and save Community Care Program. On April 21 a representation was led to Illinois capital Springfield to meet bipartisan legislatures which urged them to save the lives of seniors and other innocent immigrants by not proposing the budget cut in the house.
On May 27, both these organizations joined with dozens of other organizations such as Illinois Association of Community Care Program and Home Healthcare Provider (IACCPHP), Illinois Coalition for Immigration and Refugee Rights (ICIRR), Coalition of Limited Speaking Elderly (CLESE), Home Life Healthcare Corporation (HLHC), Illinois Case Coordination Council, (ICCC) Illinois Adult Day Services Association (HLHA) and AAPR to save the services that are very important for immigrants, seniors, people and children with mental and physical disabilities.
Many seniors and persons with disabilities rely on a combination of CCP and Medicaid Home Health Services. Medicaid Home Health assists individuals with their medical health care needs by providing skilled nursing, physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy, and other essential care to those who are considered “home bound” and cannot leave their homes to manage their medical needs.
Mrs. Santosh Kumar, Executive Director MAFS, observed that “Cutting CCP’s funding sets off a chain reaction of events putting family members in situations where they have to determine how to provide care for their loved ones-including having to reduce work hours, potentially quit their jobs, or place loved ones prematurely in a nursing home. This places strain on family members and prevents older adults from aging independently and with dignity in the comforts of their own homes.”
“These proposed cuts unfairly target Illinois’ hardworking individuals who will have to balance work, personal life, children and unpaid, full-time care for their loved ones. I urge state legislators to fully fund CCP so our state’s older adults can receive the programs and services needed to age at home with dignity,” she added,
MAFS and CCP have made a strong plea to everyone working with the seniors and with those suffering with disabilities to join them in advocating keeping these essential services accessible to the community by not cutting the funds in the Budget. To save the program, please communicate to the Community Care Hot Line number at – 1-844-226-1190.
Naznnin Begum
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