Cathy's mother is on Section 8. She spent most of her working years
raising three children and running the family home. At 90 years of
age she has just about outlived her meager savings, and at the same
time is coming to a place where she can no longer live alone. She
currently lives in a decent apartment in Silverdale, in Kitsap County.
Her annuity from which she supplements her small social security
check, is down to $10 thousand. She cannot apply for Medicaid unless
she has less than $2.5 thousand. Until she became ill and needed
in-house care or Adult Family Care, her three children assisted in
providing some of the small niceties for her personal comfort. But
in-home care runs around $30 per hour and includes limits as to how
many hours must be agreed upon...I think we end up with something like
120 per day in order to have someone spend two hours in the morning
and two hours in the evening. That looks like $840 per week and, if
all continues as it is, $43,680 for 12 months. Initially her
condition caused her children to research long term care and adult
family care for low income adults. West of Hood Canal in all of
Jefferson and Clallam counties there are only two certified adult
family homes that accept section 8. One in Sequim and one in Forks.
Cathy and I have worked with folks in the Sequim facility. Back about
fifteen years ago it was a clean, pleasant home, but more recently we
worked with another resident and entered into a grimy unkempt home
with an attendant who was, at best, indifferent toward doing more
than the very basics.
My mother-in-law has committed two major sins. First, she grew up in
a culture that taught her not to worry. Marry well and let your Man
take care of you and your family. This worked okay until he dropped
dead at the age of 57, leaving only a small sum through his Postal
Union account. And second, she lived to become Old. Old is not
looked upon with favor...unless you are very rich. Poor and Old is a
gross sin. Just because you lived by the rules, pulled your own
weight, raised good children, attended your church and did your share
of community work, none of that matters when you become old and frail.
Of course this has always been "The American Way". Back when the
extended family lived on the farm or close together in town, frail
elders were kept in back rooms and looked after by those women young
and strong enough to add their care to the other household duties.
Sure, we did have a few Poor Houses, many of them run by local
churches, but most elders lived their last days with minimal care, and
lonely.
And when we managed to put some of our federal taxes to good use,
beginning to provide some clean, better managed facilities, our new
administration took a wild step backward, cutting funding that already
did not meet the needs of our senior citizens.
The budget proposed by Trump is called, "Dead on arrival", by the
Senators of both Parties. But this proposal was only a trial balloon.
It sends up a signal that the actual budget proposal will be a lean,
one as far as social services are concerned. Only the War Budget will
see an increase. After all, in this good God Loving America, War is
what keeps us going, not Old Used Up Seniors.
God Bless America!!!
Carl Jarvis
On 5/29/17, joe harcz Comcast <joeharcz@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
People will die under this.....
----- Original Message -----
From: "Bonnie L. Sherrell" <blslarner@xxxxxxxxxx>
To: <blind-democracy@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Saturday, May 27, 2017 2:44 AM
Subject: [blind-democracy] Re: she is right
This proposed health care bill will leave caregivers high and dry, and
our
clients in even worse shape. Both my clients are medically fragile, and
both
would most likely be unable to pay for their medications, much less
needed
medical and disability related equipment and supplies.
Bonnie L. Sherrell
Teacher at Large
"Then do not be too eager to deal out death in judgement. For even the
very wise cannot see all ends." LOTR
"Don't go where I can't follow."
We gave the Goblin King control of our nation!
