From the Wichita Eagle, Lawrence [KS] Journal-World:

About 40 people in wheelchairs gathered at the entrance to the state capitol in Topeka Monday to protest a freeze in home care services for people with physical disabilities. Advocates say the freeze will force more people out of their homes and into nursing facilities.

They were there to protest a recent decision by the Department of Social and Rehabilitation Services to quit accepting applications for the physical disability waiver, a program that provides services to help the disabled stay in their own homes and out of nursing care.

SRS froze applications after an unexpected increase in enrollment overran the program’s funding by $10 million.

… While [SRS officials] acknowledge that home care by an attendant is usually cheaper than nursing care, they also have said that under federal Medicaid rules, nursing-home care is considered an entitlement while home care is not.

Earlier post here.

This entry was posted on Tuesday, January 13th, 2009 at 10:13 am and is filed under health aides/direct support workers, housing, nursing homes, physical disabilities, waiting list/waivers, wheelchair. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.