PENNSYLVANIA GOES AFTER HANDICAPPED

****
Governor Rendell Is Heartless
FREEDOM OF CHOICE FOR CARE GIVERS
THREATENED BY STATE PROTOCOL

****
The Following Letter Was Sent From A Good Friend and Reader. This Is Happening All Over The Country And It Has To Stop. When Times Are Bad They Always Go After The Ones Who Need The Help The Most. Call Governor Rendell And Tell Him You Are Outraged !
CALL RENDELL AND TELL HIM WHAT YOU THINK....
Phone: (717) 787-2500
Fax: (717) 772-8284
****

Governor Rendell



I am a care giver for my brother Dennis who cannot walk talk or see and is not potty trained. I love my brother and my family is willing to make the many sacrifices to keep my brother at home. Some people ask me why I don’t place my brother in an institution or group home for the handicapped.? First of all I feel he is getting much better care at home and because you love someone you are willing to make the sacrifices required. Because love is sacrificing for the people you love. When my brother was born the doctor told my mother that he would only live to be five, he is now 56 years old. The main reason my brother, Dennis, is alive and happy is because of one main factor LOVE. No institution or group home environment can provided the love and support that ones own family does. I am writing this because many care givers who wish to keep their disabled and handicapped loved one at home will no longer be able to do so as of July 1st, 2009 because of the Vacancy Management Protocol passed by the State of Pennsylvania and Governor Rendell. Under this protocol the state has taken away county authority over funding and placement of handicapped and disabled. If you have to place your disabled child or adult in a group home/institution, your loved one will be placed in the first available vacancy which is open in any part of the state. This means my brother if he needed to be placed could end up hours away from home in any institution that the STATE chooses to send him. The Vacancy Management Protocol has created great FEAR among those caring for disabled loved ones. Care givers no longer have the freedom of choice to chose the facility in which our loved one maybe placed when and if the need arises, the STATE WILL. Under this new state protocol, many disabled loved one could be placed hours away from their local homes and care givers will be unable to properly supervise their care. Many families will be forced to relocate in order to do so. The state in their attempt to “save costs” has failed to take into account the “ human cost”to the handicapped individuals and families. Many families who are doing a great job caring for their loved ones at home through the assistance of the waiver programs will be FORCED to place their loved ones NOW while they have the chance of picking the facility of THEIR CHOICE. Obviously this is very devastating to the handicapped individuals who are happy living in their own home and to the many care givers who don’t want to give up their loved ones. What happened to the “Home Care Policy” instituted years ago to replace institutionalizing of the handicapped? Home care has proven to be more effective in the care and development for disabled individuals. The state is overstepping its bounds in removing the FREEDOM OF CHOICE of the care givers and disabled to chose when their loved will be places and where they will be placed. Why haven’t state and federal organizations representing the disabled take a strong stand to fight against this protocol???? Both state and federal governments claims they are trying to protect the rights of all individuals, what happened to the rights of the disabled and handicapped individuals? If you have any comments, please e-mail Mrs. Niva at JettaMomma10@aol.com to let her know your thoughts.

Comments

Piratemomma said…
It is just by luck I found this site which explains what is happening to our family and where the blame goes. We have been jerked through layers of Department of Welfare Offices and now I understand why we can't get our son in a Joint Commision Approved great Long Term Rehab Special Program Nursing Home!!!
They want our son to go live in a group home in a different county and a different city where I can't travel due to my physical disabilities!
How do we get help for our son? Our family is being torn apart!