IHSS COALITION — FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Mike Roth, 916.444.7170
December 13, 2011        

Sacramento –  Seniors, people with disabilities, and the people who provide the in-home care they count on expressed deep concerns over today’s announcement that automatic budget reductions – including a 20 percent across-the-board cut to In-Home Supportive Services – will go forward due to shortfalls in anticipated revenue.

Earlier this month, a United States District Court judge granted a Temporary Restraining Order to stop the implementation of the reduction in IHSS hours.  That decision stays in effect at least until a hearing can be held on this issue, likely within the next four to six weeks.  Still, advocates for seniors and people with disabilities were clear about the negative consequences of the cuts.

“Automatic reductions aren’t the way to put California on a sustainable path where seniors and people with disabilities can live in dignity,” said Michelle Rousey, an IHSS consumer in Alameda County.  “What these cuts will ‘trigger’ is more pain for seniors and people with disabilities and higher costs for taxpayers when grandparents and family members will be forced out of their homes and into far more costly nursing homes.”

The 20 percent reduction to the time seniors and people with disabilities receive help with nutrition, taking medication, bathing, bowel and bladder care and other tasks necessary for living comes on top of a 3.6 percent reduction that went into effect earlier this year. The additional reductions will gravely endanger seniors and people with disabilities, who will lose the care that allows them to live safely at home rather than in more expensive nursing homes.

Statewide, approximately 440,000 seniors and people with disabilities rely on IHSS to live safely in their own homes. The average IHSS consumer receives approximately 86 hours of care a month and will lose approximately 23 hours as a result of this cut.  Approximately 250,000 seniors and people with disabilities are expected to be hit with the full 20 percent cut to service hours.

“The IHSS program means independence for me – the freedom to live in my own home, and to be free from worry that a fall, infection, or missed medication will send me to the emergency room, or worse – leave me lingering in a nursing home,” said John Wilkins, an IHSS consumer in Fresno County

“The all-cuts approach hasn’t worked.  We have a responsibility to do what’s best for California and thoughtfully mitigate the damage of further cuts”, said Janie Whiteford, Chair of the IHSS Coalition. “It’s time for a balanced approach that includes the revenues needed to keep the jobs and support services that are California’s economic lifeblood pumping.”

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The IHSS Coalition is a group comprised of stakeholders in the California IHSS program. A diversity of perspectives is represented in our coalition: consumer, worker, advocacy, and program administration. Our common goals are maintaining necessary funding for the program, and working together to improve the home care system in a manner that will make it more functional for all.