As Congress heads home for the last weeks of August, we must focus on funding for HCBS! People with disabilities rely on home and Community-Based Services (HCBS) for everyday things like employment supports, getting around the community, dressing, bathing, taking medication, and much more.
But there isn’t enough money in the HCBS program to support everyone. Too many people are stuck on waiting lists and not getting the services they need. Direct care workers are underpaid, which leads to high turnover, critical staffing shortages, and compromised care for many people with disabilities. All too often, this means unpaid family caregivers are filling in the gaps of care.
The pandemic has made the disability direct support worker crisis worse than ever. It’s long past time for a HISTORIC investment in disability funding.
Act now so people with disabilities, their families, and the direct support professional workforce can get the support they need!
Contact Congress now because #CareCantWait!
It is very difficult for the average person to comprehend the hard work and sacrifice made by parents and caregivers of the disabled.
Massachusetts needs to step up salaries for caregivers and recognize how much money is being saved by the state during these last two years by not giving sufficient support to the most vulnerable in society.
Letting families utilize Masshealth PCA without having to give up guardianship of our children though they are adults they are still our children(Some do not have anyone to be a adult childs guardian and are single parent homes).I moved home to mashpee mass and I’m told I need to wait for some kind of support even a supper coordinator to help direct me.My daughter is 32 years old born with Cornelia de Lange syndrome and she also has autism and partially deaf.I am a single parent and need help as I cannot leave her alone for 5 minutes as she could get out of our house.There is plenty of money to pay for DDS workers,coordinators,office workers but nothing for children and families?I should not be forced to put my daughter in a group home because I need to work full time to provide a roof over her head,clothing,food.I cannot go to work until I get staff in my home and am able to get her into a suitable day program.I called Kennedy Donovan center which receives millions of tax dollars to help with services and I was told by the person who does intake for the agency that my daughter could nit receive respite because she is still in diapers and they will not do personal care.These agencies need to be investigated as to why they turn away adults with disabilities that they are receiving funding for to provide services.Families with children and adults with disabilities are in crisis and DDS was created to provide services and not created as an employment agency so parents are left to struggle daily while these employees get paid to do nothing.
Please pass the disability act so adults aged 20 to an older can get services they need so very much my son will be 22 next year in ages out of school with support services my son is severely autistic nonverbal has no awareness of safetyAnd needs help with all this daily living activities. We need Congress to act now for our disabled community.