Elder Affairs
The House Ways and Means Committee recently released their budget for Fiscal Year 2010. Here are some highlights.
Elder Items
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State Representative Lori Ehlrich and several seniors participate in a cooking class on June 17th as part of the Naturally Occurring Retirement Community run by Jewish Family Services of the North Shore |
On Friday, June 19 , the Conference Committee released its compromise Fiscal Year 2010 (FY10) budget. As expected, the budget contains sweeping cuts across all areas of state government. Below is information about how Elder Affairs items faired.
Elder Housing/Naturally Occurring Retirement Communities (NORCs):
- Line item 9110-1660 (Congregate Housing) was separated back out from the Senate's consolidated housing line.
- Supportive Housing (9110-1604) received a cut of over $100K.
- Elder Homelessness (9110-1700) is cut by $17K below post-9C levels.
- Congregate Housing (9110-1660) took the brunt of the cut to Elder Housing, with a cut of $658K.
- Language for NORCs is included; however, funding is for Congregate Housing and may be spent for NORCs.
- Elder Affairs will make decisions on how to spend the reduced allocation.
- Of the various earmarks in the Congregate Housing Line Item, only NORCs were included in the budget.
Elder Home Care: These line-items were not consolidated by the Conference Committee.
- Home Care Purchased Services: Line 9110-1630 was funded at the House level, thus will take a cut of $2.45M below the FY09 post-9C cut levels. This could result in over 750 elders cut from the home care rolls.
- Home Care Case Management: Line 9110-1633 was just higher than FY09 funding levels.
Other Elder Items:
- Pre-Admission Counseling was funded in Medicaid/Elder Affairs line item 4000-0600, and held the House level of funding. The language calls for Aging and Disability Resource Centers (ADRCs) to conduct the counseling.
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Adult Protective Services: This program was level funded to FY09.
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Line Items |
Conference Committee Report for FY09 |
Governor's mid-year 9C cuts for FY09 |
Governor's FY10Budget |
House FY10 Budget |
Senate FY10 Budget |
Conference Committee Report for FY10 |
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Home Care Purchased Services |
106,715,568.00 |
102,747,568.00 |
199,176,025 consolidated with other line items. Total funding last year for all line items - $202,552,656 |
88,734,283.00 |
177,695,425.00 |
100,307,274.00 |
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Home Care Administration and Case Management |
40,368,041.00 |
37,568,041.00 |
199,176,025 consolidated with other line items |
37,568,041.00 |
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37,568,041.00 |
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Protective Services (Including Guardianship) |
16,246,087.00 |
16,246,087.00 |
16,252,499.00 |
16,252,499.00 |
16,252,499.00 |
16,252,499.00 |
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Congregate and Shared Housing for the Elderly |
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262,500.00 |
6361027 - consolidated with other line items |
2,123,255.00 |
5,518,419, includes language that NORCs may be funded, but at no specific level |
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- Many of the following requests which MAJF advocates for have a common theme: helping people to get care where they want it, and where it generally costs much less. The Commonwealth, seniors, and families have a strong common interest in expanding services and housing in the community as alternatives to institutionalization. Giving people choices is both good policy and smart fiscal strategy. Especially in this difficult budgetary climate, the state cannot afford to admit people to nursing homes that do not want to be there or do not absolutely need to be there.
To keep with the theme of keeping senior citizens in the community, MAJF supports funding for an aging-in-place project operated by Jewish Family & Children's Service of Greater Boston in Brookline and Malden, by Jewish Family Service of Metrowest in Framingham, by Jewish Family Service of the North Shore in Lynn and the Jewish Family Service of Western Massachusetts in Springfield
The Aging in Place project's purpose is to demonstrate new and cost-effective approaches to helping older seniors to continue living in their own homes that will reduce state and federal Medicaid expenditures. The activities address primary causes of preventable institutionalization including isolation, poor management of chronic conditions, poor nutrition, and emotional/cognitive impairment. Project activities do not duplicate existing senior services. Instead, it connects very old, frail, and isolated seniors with community resources by bringing them on-site and fostering an environment in which residents can support one another.
Naturally Occurring Retirement Communities in the news
- March 1st, Metrowest Daily News ran a story about the Healthy Partners Program in Framingham run by Jewish Family Service of Metrowest. For article, click here.
- In September 2008, the Naturally Occurring Retirement Ceremony in Lynn held a ceremony to unveil a quilt which was created by several seniors who participate in the Front Porch Program and honored State Senator Thomas McGee, State Representative Steve Walsh and State Representative Lori Ehlich for their support of the front Porch Program. For pictures click here.
- In July 2008, the Marblehead Reporter ran a story on how MAJF, along with Senator McGee and Representative Ehrlich secured funding for the NORC in Lynn.
- In May 2008, the Malden Observer ran a story how MAJF, along with support from two legislators, secured funding for FY09. Click here.
