The complicated discussion about the great challenges of the poorest and middle class families in New York to take on the care of older adults, especially when they require not only company, but special care, took on a new air this week before what is projected to be the fiscal year 2025 budget.
In the opinion of some organizations and elected leaders there are no signs, for now, that the current care scheme for the elderly, can take a significant turn.
In this panorama, a new report from AARP specifies that women in New York state are “almost twice as likely as men to care for a loved one.”
It is also revealed that women aged 40 or older, who are currently providing care to a loved one, are more likely than at age 58 to take on the care of their 80-year-old mother, with a wide variety of activities ranging from do the shopping, to carry out nursing tasks.
The report ‘Women caregivers aged 40 or older in New York’ It is derived from a survey conducted last fall.
These data add to the arguments of defense groups for older adults and the presidents of the State Legislative Committee on Aging, Senator Cordell Cleare, and the Assemblyman Ron Kimto demand that Governor Kathy Hochul and the State Legislature provide more support to unpaid family caregivers in the final state budget that must be approved by April 1.
The survey among 1,345 registered New York voters ages 40 and olderset out to learn more about caregivers and the services that help them care for their loved ones.
The conclusions focus on the responses of women who care for a loved one or who have already done it before.
“It is estimated that 2.2 million New York residents They are unpaid family caregivers. It is unfortunate that the governor decided not to address this situation when she unveiled her plan for the upcoming budget, as women, especially those age 40 and older, take on the majority of the responsibilities when it comes to caring for their children. older loved ones,” he reacted Kristen McManus, AARP Deputy State Advocacy Director.
In her speech on the fiscal year 2025 budget project, the state president this Tuesday announced an investment of $35.5 billion for Medicaid, but no details were made about changes in home care plans at any level.
For more support to caregivers
Additionally, it is also observed in surveys that current women who care for a loved one in New York are probably married (62%) and employed (58%), while the majority (58%) say they always vote in state elections.
“As chair of the Committee on Aging and as a family caregiver for both parents in recent years, this report confirms much of what we intuitively know: Caring for a loved one is often a family act of love and dedication that has disparate impacts on women,” said Senator Cordell Cleare.
The growing call is for New York State to step up and support the millions of family caregivers. The way would be to invest more in the services already available and create initiatives that eliminate the long waiting times involved in obtaining approval for a program.
Among the recommendations promoted by this legislative group and the AARP organization is create direct financial assistance plans for unpaid family caregivers. On average, it is estimated that these people have extra expenses for caring for loved ones, for an amount of $8,000 a year.
It is also encouraged to provide $42 million to eliminate crippling, long waiting lists on which New York’s seniors languishwhile they and their caregivers wait to be beneficiaries of basic services, from the state offices for older adults.
As he comments, Kristen McManus, spokesperson for AARP New Yorkthe survey of women caring for a loved one, offers a clear indication of how the female population plays a vital role in ensuring that their elderly and often sick loved ones, They receive proper care every day.
In this same direction, advocates for the elderly and legislators are proposing that the State Office of the Elderly of NY develop and publish detailed reports of waiting lists, by county and services requested, so that The state government is clear about how these cases are being processed.
Out of the polls
In the vast majority of cases, those who for some reason do not have a social security number to be able to apply for any assistance derived from Medicaid, simply have to face terrible situations, and the most common is having to quit their jobs or take on strenuous schedules on the weekends.
This group of women, possibly They will never be reflected in any survey, but possibly they are the ones who suffer the most from the consequences of little scope of home care programs for the elderly.
For example, the Colombian Graciela Meléndez, 48 years oldtakes care of his mother who suffered a fall last summer, which required complicated hip surgery. From that moment on, everything stopped in his personal and work life.
“My mom, being an independent 80-year-old woman, who even did her personal shopping here in the neighborhood, It became 100% dependent on me. It is very difficult for it to be the same again. I had to cut hours from my job. I was starting a new romantic relationship. There is only my daughter and I, who can help me on the weekends”said the immigrant who lives in Sunnyside, Queens.
Graciela assures that although she has had the “better medical and hospital support”the options you have to access the programs, that could give him financial support or a salary to take care of his mother, are minimal.
“I have even heard that those who are legal and apply perfectly for family care or attention salary programs must wait months. It’s hard because for us, our parents will never be a burden. I do it with love. But after six months, I am already financially bankrupt, because I do not have the same capacity to produce money,” said the immigrant.
Even for families who can apply for Family Directed Personal Assistance Program (CDPAP) the wait is very long.
With this program, you are paid through Medicaid a salary to a family member, who may be a close relative, such as a son, daughter, nephew, friend or trusted neighborexcept for the partner, to be responsible for the patient’s care at home.
Response times after all interviews, evaluations and diagnosis confirmation They are usually at least four months, when family groups are very lucky.
At this point, there are two situations to clarify: To qualify for this family home assistance program, the patient must have a Social Security number, that is, you must have legal immigration status in the country. Additionally, your personal income, cannot exceed $1,680 per month.
The other commitment to home care
There is another angle to home care for the elderly that also occupies advocacy organizations, in these days of budgetary adjustments. And it is precisely the pyrrhic salary received by those who professionally deal with these tasks. The expectation is that some legislation can motivate the incorporation of more people to these tasks.
According to the proposal led by the Puerto Rican senatorGustavo Rivera the approval of the ‘Reinvestment and Savings in Home Care Law’, would save approximately $3 billion to state coffers. This would be accomplished by paying directly for home care services, rather than charging a fixed monthly fee per member. to the companies that coordinate these services.
The central argument behind this proposal is to exclude private insurance companies from the long-term care business. whose funds come from the federal plan Medicaid.
The reasoning of the drafters of the legislation and the coalition NY Caring Majority (NYCM), is that these plans administered by insurers, They spend millions on administrative costs, while the home care workforce, He receives a salary described as “miserable.”
“We urge the Governor to include this draft bill in her budget, which would free up billions to invest in home care salaries,” he demanded. Ilana Berger, director of NYCM.
As this coalition argues numerically, New York faces a dangerous shortage of home care, which will only get worse as the population ages.
However, the State has wasted almost $6 billion dollars in the last 4 years alonepaying private insurance companies “to mismanage Medicaid home care.”
X-ray of female caregivers in NY:
- 66% of women say they are caregivers, compared to 34% of men
- 45% of women have a household income of less than $75,000
- 65% of women caring for a loved one say they worked while providing care
- 92% say they have incurred expenses related to caring for their loved one
- 64% of women who care for a loved one do not believe the New York State Government offers enough support to unpaid family caregivers
2024-01-19 05:00:00
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