Michigan may slash funding for home health care for seniors
From The Detroit News Online:
Hundreds of frail seniors and adults withdisabilities are on a waiting list to join a popular social services program calledMI Choice. Designed to help people who need assistance to stay in theirhomes rather than go to nursing homes, the program provides help witheverything from meals to cleaning to transportation.
State lawmakers are contemplating a $7.5 million to $9.7 million cutto MI Choice because of the state’s budget troubles and what some sayare high administrative costs. Social service officials say the cutswould effectively close the program to new enrollment, waiting listswill swell, and client care could suffer. More than 1,000 people inMetro Detroit already are on waiting lists.
Advocates of the cuts, however, say they are providing more moneyfor client care by streamlining administrative costs. Mary Ablan,executive director of the Area Agencies on Aging Association ofMichigan, said if lawmakers’ proposed cuts begin Oct. 1, there will befewer social workers and nurses, which could affect care for clients.