 |
 |
To all members: I have spoken to Ivan regarding his upcoming hearing in which he is challenging Ms. Baldwin's reduction in his care services. To support Ivan and demonstrate our outrage at Ms. Baldwin's ludicrous determination, Ivan has asked anyone who is interested to call the Governor's Legal Advisor, Wayne Douglas, at 207-287-3536 soon to voice our support for his continued care. Let us call in his support and keep him in our prayers. Beverly 49/41 ----- Original Message ----- From: Ivan M Suzman <[log in to unmask]> Sent: Wednesday, October 18, 2000 6:47 PM Subject: Parkinson's sufferer Ivan Suzman to be forced into nursing home on October 23 > Maine's "Independent" Govenor Angus King has done nothing to help > long-time Parkinson's Disease sufferer Ivan Suzman of Portland, > now 50 and in his 15th yearof battling the disease. Meanwhile, > the controversy surrounding Molly Baldwin, RN, at th Bureau of > Elder and Adult Afffars (BEAS) who is angry at Ivan for not > cooperating with her decision to commit him to residency > in a nursing home on Monday, October 23, continues to grow. > > Baldwin is the key player in the Maine Department > of Human Service's strategy to continue to > underpay its night atttendants, whose rate of > $15.00 for an entire 7-hour overnight shift is being > lowered by Baldwin to $14.60 PER NIGHT (not > per hour). > > On September 3, 29 angry, disabled Mainers travelled to a > DHS Hearing in Augusta, Maine, to provide testimony on the > devastating impact of the DHS 's overnight pay rate of approximately > $2.00 /hour, > or as former Portland PCA Ashley Lenartson calls it, in an open > leter to teh Maine Legislature, "SLAVERY." > > While Lenartson and many other PCA's seethe over the untenable > pay rate, Baldwin has restricted DHS official Kep Neale from > releasing the testimony from the hearing. She claims that > due to a" Technical error" the Se[tember 3 testimony is > to be removed from the record. > > Lenartson is one of many Mainers could not afford to work for Ivan, > and other DHS consumers like him statewide, because of the ridiculous > wage, and echoed the voices of many other PCA's. Donald > Douglas of Bridgton , a CNA. quit night attendant work after his > paycheck came to $00.60 (60 CENTS) for an entire night. > > Baldwin, the rate-setting bureaucrat in this puzzling > and stunning underpaymentof night attendants, > blames Suzman's lack of a live-in attendant > and the loss of night caregivers on his poor patient > skills. She now denies being able to locate a May, 1999 > letter, in which she suggests that Suzman's "lifestyle" > is the reason he cannot retain attendants. > > This outrageous allegation was countered at an October 16 meeting at > Suzman's > home by 5 witnesses for Suzman, including a social worker, > a certified nurse's aide, a former chair of the Governor's > Medicaid advisory board, and two new PCA's who are > working for Mr. Suzman, despite the unfair rate. of pay. > > "It is our hope to keep Ivan from deteriorating," said > one of the atendants, on condition of remaining anonymous. > She addeed that Baldwin was cruel and cold-hearted in the > meeting at SUzman's home. > Baldwin insists that nothing can be done, despite King's > multimillion dollar budget surplus. > > Mr. Suzman has been steadily deteriorating for nearly two > months. Another PCA close to him says that she does not > think he can survive the winter, without adequate care > at home, limited to 13 hours per day by Baldwin. She > says that Ivan is actually "amazingly resourceful," and > refuses to see placement in a nursing home as anything > less than "a death sentence" for him. > > Suzman is seeking to sue King and Baldwin for mental > cruelty, severe emotional distess, and slander, and is seeking > a pro-bono lawyer to protect him from forced removal from > his Portland home, world-famous for its Parkinson's- friendly > construction , ranging from wheelchair accessible features, > postural and positioning safety devices, double-railed stairways,and > a design that includes balance bars and mobilitfy and hypothermia > protections. > > > GreenArmy Press > Portland 10/18/00 >