Interview with adult care taker who uses the consumer-directed care model called "Services My Way"
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Services My Way I Js 2010
1. Keeping Things in Balance
A Long-Term Living Reform Agenda For Pennsylvanias New Governor
N
ow that Pennsylvanias
gubernatorial election
is over, organizations
Home and
around the state are
clamoring for community-based
Governor-elect services for seniors
Corbetts attention to
their public policy agendas. The transition and adults with
period between administrations presents a disabilities save
pivotal opportunity for advocacy groups to get
their issues before the new executive as he
maps out his priorities for the next four years.
$15,210
in public spending
One issue of vital importance to JEVS
Human Services, and more than 4,000 per participant.
individuals with disabilities who rely on the - AARP Public
agency for community-based assistance, is Policy Institute
continued reform of Pennsylvanias system
of long-term services and supports (LTSS).
Specifically, consumers, providers, and
advocates are concerned with the
Commonwealths efforts to expand access,
quality, and choice, and to develop a system for people with disabilities. However, for (including Pennsylvania) that spent more
with greater balance between institutional seniors and persons with physical disabilities, than 75 percent of their Medicaid LTSS
and community options. the definitive measure of a balanced1 system funds on nursing homes.
(a 50-50 split between community and
Nationally, considerable progress has been institutional spending) has been achieved by Despite these figures, Pennsylvanias recent
made to improve community living options only six states; in 2009, there were 23 states history in this regard is encouraging. In 2003,
dementia, which is not as severe as Alzheimers. She doesnt know
Home-Based Services, My Way what day of the week it is. She doesnt realize the danger of things.
In-home Care With a Personal Touch But she knows when she is not in her own home.
Then about a year ago, the county told Sarah about a new program
arah Deluigi, who is taking care of her 91-year-old mother in
S
called Services My Way and put her in touch with JEVS. We receive a
Beaver County, Pa., doesnt know what she would do without
monthly budget which we can spend as we see fit. We can buy adult
Services My Way from JEVS Supports for Independence.
diapers and medical equipment. We choose to spend our allotment on
Her mother, Catharina Spinelli, had a stroke two years ago.
personal care hours for my mother.
After her stay in the hospital, she was sent to a rehabilitation
hospital for two months. The rehabilitation staff told Sarah that her Catherina still stays with Sarah during the week and now is able to go
mother could not live by herself anymore. She could not go home. to her own home on the weekends, with around-the-clock personal
care assistants. Sarah and her siblings (her sister lives nearby and
My mother does not want to go to a nursing home, emphasized shares the care of her mother; her brother lives out of state) are able to
Sarah, a retired school teacher. Sarah brought her mother home to live provide this personal care for their mother with Services My Way for
with her. But her mother could not return to her own home (which is some of the hours and with private pay for the rest.
still in the family) and this made her unhappy. My mother wanted to
sit on her own porch. She wanted to putter around in her own kitchen. Its hard, said Sarah about her time that she spends caring for her
She didnt understand why she couldnt go home. mother during the week. But shes my mother and she took care of us
for years. Without Services My Way, the amount of caretaking that we
After Sarah moved her mother into her home, she received county would have to do for my mother would be impossible.
respite services, which provided her with a few hours of personal assistance
care a week. The respite program specified that Catharina could not For more information
live in her own home. Sarahs mother, Catherina, has progressive Supports for Independence/ 267.298.1364
INSIDE JEVS P G . 2 FA L L 2 0 1 0