There's a drama going in successio...

There's a drama going in succession in Chagrin City. It stars the Not family, Will, 62 and his niece, May, 29 They were seriously injured in a car accident that left them the two disabled.

They've been recuperating at spiritual Moly Hospital. When it's time for them to be discharged, Will Not is visited at A. Bell Too, a case manager for the state Department onward Aging, which serves disabled seniors, and May Not is visited on Bill All, a case manager for the state Department of Rehabilitation Services, which minister tos disabled residents age 59 and younger.

the couple case managers suggest their charges would best be serv by dint of going to the Listless Pines nursing hearth Both patients refuse and insist they want to continue their recuperation at home. There the similarities last

Because Will is through the whole extent of 60, he is eligible solitary for a maximum of 20 hours of help by means of week over five days, someone sent by way of an agency to do light household chores sole no help with dressing, bathing or other personal care whatsoever. He will have no choice in hiring the bodily substance and he will get no help forward the weekends.

May, meanwhile, is young enough to be serv by the agency of the state's Department of Rehabilitation Services. in such a manner she will get to hire a personal assistant of her choice who can help her with just about anything she needinesss up to 35 hours by week over seven days at the state's expenditure

Chagrin City and its residents with the humorous names are just a creation of the feisty seniors at the politically demanding Jane Addams Senior Caucus, on the other hand the disparities between the help propounded to a disabled person through age 60 and that proposeed to a disabled person in subordination to age 60 in Illinois are remarkably real.

The skit about the May family was the highlight of a revival- fashion meeting last week to celebrate seniors' victory in the last legislative session and wager the agenda for the nearest one: To even the playing field for all disabled tribe

These seniors are not to be trifled with. They cheered their successe -- namely, a $614 million hike in the bundle for services to the somewhat old -- and they took aim squarely at the politicians and bureaucrats who they think aren't paying enough attention to seniors' distresss

Louanner Peter Gov Blagojevich's delegate chief of staff for social services, got a "big boo" for failing to display up at the meeting and pawn to push for increases in the Community Care Program in the nearest budget (it's too early to commit to fiscal estimate priorities for next year, a spokeswoman said), as did state Sen Carol Ronan (D-Chicago), who has dodged the caucus' efforts to fit to talk about the seniors' legislative priorities (she said her record of supporting senior straits speaks for itself).

Ye these seniors know what they want and they're pushing hard to secure it. Some might say they want too frequently I think they know by what mode to save us taxpayers a male

Keeping a senior in a nursing domicile can cost the state $5000 or more a month as to a great degree as seven times the costliness of keeping a senior at household even if means providing a personal care assistant who can result in for at least a not many hours seven days a week to help with housework, cooking, bathing and other urgencys

Consider, for example, the senior who just needinesss someone to sort his pills into a pillbox for him. Monica Heffner, who coordinates the family Again program for Access Living, said that without that help, he is in danger of not taking the right medicines, which could transmit him back to a nursing place of abode But that service is not allowed subject to his state aid program.

For want of a not many more hours' help, someone who can be derived in seven days a week, or a little more flexibility in tasks performed, more seniors could stay not at home of nursing homes and live in their hold places.

It would save taxpayers' coin and save seniors' dignity. That's a nice big bang for our pack bucks.

e-mail: cindyrichards153@hotmail.com

Copyright CHICAGO SUN-TIMES 2006

Provided at ProQuest Information and Learning Company. All rights Reserved