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Ivan, Hope you have better days. With the electon only 2 weeks from today, and so close, it's important to get out and vote. Nader and the Green Party have some good ideas, but unfortunately have no chance of winning. A vote for Nader will only hurt Gore and elect Bush. Sad, but true. Greg 48/35/35 ----- Original Message ----- From: "Ivan M Suzman" <[log in to unmask]> To: <[log in to unmask]> Sent: Tuesday, October 24, 2000 5:15 AM Subject: State of Maine cuts my home-care services from 13 hrs to 5 hrs; Appeal called in > ^^^^^^ WARM GREETINGS FROM ^^^^^^^^^^^^ :-) > Ivan Suzman 50/39/36 [log in to unmask] :-) > Portland, Maine land of lighthouses 37 deg. F :-) > ******************************************************************** > > Dear PIEN friends, > > DISASTER!! I am fighting a dangerous and vicious decision that > endangers my safety at home. Please help me if you can. > > The Maine Governor , Angus King, can be phoned at 207-287-3531. > I am the AUTHOR of his annual PD Awareness Proclamations. > Please make him aware that my health and safety are jeopardized . > by a decision made yesterday, and scheduled to go into effect on > November 1, 2000. > > My case is stuck in the Bureau of Elder and Adult Services, BEAS, > and serviced by a company called Alpha One, Inc. . AO is very > closely linked to the George Bush campaign ,and is very biased > towards the Republicna party. Although I manage four personal > care attendants in a rotation around the clock, and do it perfectly, > I am considered an enemy becaused I am a VOCAL patient. > > THE NURSE ASSESSORS (Betsy Balzano of Alpha One, > and Molly Baldwin of the BEAS), put me through a 5-hour and 20 > minute non-stop interrogation yesterday, and used information selectively > . > Their decision is obviously pre=-planned, and in flagrant conflict with > reality. > > THEY CUT 8 HOURS OUT OF MY DAILY CARE PLAN . Balzano and Baldwin > are tyring to eliminate 8 of my 13 hrs of home-care allowed during > each 24- hour day, leaving me wtih only 5 hours of home-care per day!! > > . They added that home-care costs will not be covered, that for the > first time, > I will be forced to pay "co-payments". There is no time allotted for > "Off-periods," > no time for stand-by assistance when the commode (toileting) > is needed, and I am being penalized for wanting to drive. They > refuse to assist my independence, do NOT approve of my going to > see sick friends in the hospital, refuse to allow as evidence the October > 16, 2000 > neurologist's letter, which they have ignored. They allot times for > everything > from putting on a sock to eating supper, and have NO interest in allowing > me toi eat at a normal PD pace, which of course is SLOWER. > > They want my caregivers to vacuum while I am eating, to not sit with > me and see what help I need. They are now supposed, to run water and > do dishes while I am eating 4 feet away. They do not allow me more that > one change of > clothes per 24-hour period, despite the sweating I go through..Theu > are trying to make my helpers feel like rats on a treadmill.. > > BUT DO NOT DESPAIR! I have called in to the Bureau to request an > appeal. > . > I have asked for help from the disability rights center and > Attorney Helen Bailey has responded. She will look at the > nuses; care-cutitng decision, to see if a response can beconstructyed. > > I will FIGHT FIGHT FIGHT and pray my was through this. > Molly Baldwin will lose her job--she wants me to take the 5 hours of my > day care, transfer it to night care, and then leave me with no hours > at all for day care. She wants me to find a way to say goodbye to > Natalie, Julie, Tracy .... > THIS IS WHAT HAPPENS TO POOR PEOPLE on the PIEN list > who try to get home care and who refuse to leave home. > > Now maybe some of can understand why RAlph Nader > and the Green party are gaining ground. Nader and running - mate > Winona ;laDUke , if you take the time to check everything out, recognize > that peo0ple like me are silenced and disenfranchised. > > Ivan Suzman > Young Onset Parkinson's patient-advocate >