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Fiscal year 2006 State Budget complete...
Elders well served by Berkshire Delegation
By Robert P. Dean, Executive Director
The process for developing the fiscal year 2006 state budget, (for July 1, 2005 through June 30, 2006), began in late 2004. Advocates for in-home and community-based services for seniors, individuals with disabilities, and caregivers have been involved throughout the process to help ensure that these needs would be appropriately addressed. The budget is now complete, (although there may still be a few additional overrides of some gubernatorial vetoes). Throughout the budget process, Berkshire elders were well served by the Berkshire County legislative team. Senator Andrea Nuciforo, and Representatives Daniel Bosley and William “Smitty” Pignatelli have been long time supporters of in-home and community-based services, while our two newest members, Representatives Denis Guyer and Christopher Speranzo, jumped right in and proved themselves to be effective elder advocates.The budget provides some very good news for elders and individuals with disabilities. The Prescription Advantage Plan, which is the state-funded insurance plan that allows many elders and disabled persons to afford to purchase their prescription medications, will be maintained until the implementation of the Medicare Part D prescription drug benefit on or about January 1, 2006. Subsequent to January 1, Prescription Advantage Plan benefits will be coordinated with Medicare Part D benefits to provide assistance with prescription drug costs to enrollees who qualify for Medicare Part D, and to provide assistance with premiums, deductibles, payments, and co-payments required by Medicare Part D. The Enhanced Community Options Program has received a funding increase, which should allow the program to serve more elders and thereby reduce the number of elders who will have to wait to receive in-home services. While this program serves significantly fewer elders than the basic state Home Care Program, it serves more frail elders and is able to provide them with higher levels of service. Among the in-home services the enhanced program provides to more frail elders are assistance with getting dressed and ready for the day, assistance in the bathroom, laundry, meal preparation, housework, heavy cleaning, supportive day programs, adaptive equipment, and companionship. The Caring Homes initiative, which began as a pilot program in early 2005, has been funded for the next year. This new program allows family members (with the exception of a spouse) to be paid for some of the care they provide in their own homes to an elder relative. This program offers a cost-effective and humane way to support families in their efforts to care for aging relatives. The statewide Nutrition/Meals on Wheels Program received a desperately needed funding increase. This program has been significantly underfunded for years while the cost of preparing, serving, and delivering the meals has continued to increase. We are pleased that the Protective Services Program, which investigates allegations of elder abuse, financial exploitation, and self-neglect; and, the Councils on Aging, which provide so many vital community supports and services to elders, have received funding increases. We are also pleased that the legislature overrode the Governor’s reduction of the human services direct care workers salary reserve, and restored this line item to its previous level so that these direct care workers will be able to receive much needed and deserved salary increases.
On behalf of Elder Services, I would like to thank Senator Nuciforo and Representatives Bosley, Guyer, Pignatelli, and Speranzo for their support of Berkshire elders and the services they need, and to ask for their continued support in the days ahead.