Please sign this petition and tell Mayor de Blasio to fully fund home care for the senior citizens of New York.
I am a Social Work student in the Fordham Graduate School of Social Services. I also work as a case manager with frail, home-bound senior citizens at a community case management agency that is funded by the Department for the Aging.
There are now almost 500 frail, home-bound seniors on waiting lists for home care. The Department for the Aging has put a freeze on home care hours due to a lack of funding. This has lead to the number of seniors that are in need to continue to grow. In its Preliminary Budget Response, the Council called for the City to baseline $4.25 million in one-time funding for Fiscal 2016 to address the homecare waitlist. DF A’s Homecare Program provides assistance to low-income frail seniors who are above the Medicaid eligibility threshold and are in need of assistance with daily chores and personal care in order to safely remain in their homes. No additional funds were added to alleviate the waitlist, despite an anticipated homecare waitlist of 500 to 550 seniors for Fiscal 2017.
The needs of New York’s senior citizens should be a priority. As the Mayor for all New Yorkers, we urge you to take responsibility and fully fund home care.
Home care is a solution to allowing older New Yorkers to age in place in their community. After all, when you’re age 80+ years old, you can’t afford to wait for the care than can save your life.
I look forward to a response from you.
Thank you,
Dawn-Marie Canas
