Hi Don and Vivian,
Thanks for writing. Here is an update on my battle for better-paid
help for assisted living WITHIN MY OWN HOME.
This morning the newly-elected Maine State Representative for the
Legislative District in which my house is located, Bill Norbert, drove me
to the neighborhood McDonald's, at 11 AM. On the neon sign in front of
McDonald's, it recently advertized:
"Help Needed - $6.25 / Hr - Health Care Plan for
all Employees"
Mr. Norbert and I spent 45 minutes talking non-stop about the unfairly
low pay of $6.25/ hour, no benefits, that the State pays to personal care
attendants who come to help me, and 600 people like me. There are about
2500 attendants statewide who get this low wage. Rep. Norbert took
extensive notes about home care issues facing me, as a young onset
Parkinson's sufferer in my 13th year of PD (I'm a 49/39/36).
Representative Norbert hopes to introduce, in January, with
co-sponsors, a bill that would
1) allocate substantially more funds to home-care services,
including, but not limited to, nurse visits, physical therapy, and
personal care attendant services, and
2) address the issue of only $9.00 being paid for the ENTIRE
night for overnight care providers (not $9.00/hour)
Rep.Norbert is a Brown University graduate and a young Maine attorney.
He intends to visit me periodically, to "continue the dialogue" we have
begun. He has asked me to travel to Augusta, Maine, to testify at the
state legislature. I have told him I will. He told me that there are
people who will make arrangements to get me to Augusta, all costs paid,
even a hotel room! Guess what- "overnight care" is included. I had to
laugh.
In the meantime, my daily struggle to find extra money to pay my 9
current part-time care providers more than the official pay rate of the
state of Maine of only $6.25/hour , no benefits, continues every day.
As for assisted living, my house is far better adapted to the
Parkinson's-related needs I have, so I am hoping that I will have the
strength to wait until the funds for a nighttime help come in from
somewhere. My house is my assisted living center, at this point in my
life.
So am I being stubborn, holding out for more home-care funding?? I
hope my strategy succeeds.
Ivan
^^^^^^ WARM GREETINGS FROM ^^^^^^^^^^^^ :-)
Ivan Suzman 49/39/36 [log in to unmask] :-)
Portland, Maine land of lighthouses 50 deg. F :-)
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On Sun, 6 Dec 1998 08:43:06 -0500 don <[log in to unmask]> writes:
>here in LIMA we have what you call assist living may be spelled wrong.
>so
>IVAN you might look in to it or some on list will know more about it
>than
>me. i did not call as i don't want to get in your privet afars
>
> I.Y.Q. DON VIVIAN
>
