With our current economy crisis most states across America are forecasting a large shortage in the amount of funding they typically receive from taxes and from the national government. This means that many of the programs states were funding are being reevaluated and are either totally being cut or dramatically reduced. One of the first programs facing large cuts across the country is support services provided for the Elderly and the disabled.
Most states are focusing on cutting programs that allowed low income seniors to remain independent and receive in-home care such as home health aids, cooking, cleaning, etc. Many seniors depend on these services to maintain a very basic quality lifestyle as opposed to moving to a nursing home. Many of the seniors who will have these services terminated are going to have to quickly reevaluate their living situation forcing those seniors without additional finances to leave the independent lifestyle they deserve and to which they have grown accustomed. Many of these seniors will, of course, have to dip into their own small savings to pay for these services further straining what little money they may have left.
Currently 41 states are facing cutbacks and budget shortfalls forcing them to act to restrict the funding of non-critical services. They are cutting funding from some of the most vulnerable. These seniors are not able to work or take care of themselves, yet try to lead an independent lifestyle. These cuts are going to force seniors to face the question of funding these services themselves, buy their own expensive prescription drugs, or purchase groceries to eat.
Typically, when seniors deplete their personal savings they are typically forced to move into a nursing home. Clearly, the majority of senior citizens prefer to avoid a nursing home. To their credit, the Government, over the past 8 years, has been focused on keeping seniors at home through increased home based care in order to negate the high Medicare cost of providing care for senior citizens in nursing homes. In anticipation that some day this proportion of spending be reallocated senior citizens may be in for a long haul and a rough time.
