Neglect panels now in Minnesota

[kickysnana]

" 9. A personal care assistance authorization of only four hours is all that is available under current law, which established a new scheme for developing assistance authorizations. It does not factor in all of the services the appellant needs but it must be followed nonetheless. Assistance with cooking, with household chores, with using the telephone, with exercise, with appointments and with other community activities are not services for which additional personal care assistance may be authorized. For these reasons, the agency reduction should be affirmed."

signed VML Human Services Judge

This is the ruling after an appeal of a reduction of 24% of hours which was barely sufficient for safety.

Appellant is a 75 year old stroke victim a tripalegic, with diabetes, extremely poor leg circulation, heart murmur and low thyroid. She cannot stand without assistance and cannot pivot once standing. She had been receiving care for 4 years under the old guidelines that let her remain in an apartment rather than a nursing home which would cost 2 1/2 or 3 times the total it costs to have her in an apartment with PCA help. Without my help she would have to be in a nursing home as she would be sitting in filth with no one to help with meals, doctor appointments, and laundry. They also keep cutting back on what PCAs are allowed to do. No wound care, no helping with blood sugar checks or insulin injections, no driving, grocery shopping, laundry, cooking, help paying bills, cutting her nails, or the hundreds of things she needs help with every day.

Who wrote this legislation? What was the end game since nursing homes are so much more expensive? Nobody I have contacted knows but it is causing havoc in so many fragile people's lives. We got a cryptic letter from NAMI saying that those who lose PCA services may be picked up by a brand new, unknown, untried system. Other than paying to have people come in to help what else is there? Aids get about $10 an hour and most get no benefits because the travel time between clients limits the number of hours they can and with clients being cut they have to have more trips (on their dime). It will only get worse with the GOP in the legislature. What were they thinking?

[glinda]

1. If you go into a home, they take your house and all of your savings, etc..... that is what they are

thinking since the end Republican game is take all of the money anywhere you can find it as fast as you can find it. And guess which Party most likely owns the most Nursing Home facilities. I do not know of one owned by a Dem. Must be some but I know of none.

[wellstone dem]

2. Have you contacted Legal Aid?

they handle these cases, if they have enough staff available. Please call them, if you need the phone number, just pm me what county she lives in.

[kickysnana]

3. I am in contact with an legal disability advocate from a local non-profit

She is looking over the papers and will let me know if there is someway to win an appeal.