Proposed IHSS State Budget Cuts
The Governor is proposing to cut the In-Home Supportive Services (IHSS) program. Here is a summary of his proposals:

• To end state funding for services provided by spouses and parents.
• To end state funding for advance pay clients, protective supervision, and domestic services only cases.
• To eliminate the Residual program completely.
• To reduce IHSS wages to $6.75 statewide.
• To eliminate state funding for provider health benefits.
• To eliminate the IHSS Public Authority and IHSS Advisory Commission.

• Personal Care Services Program (PCSP)
• Residual Program

The Residual Program is mainly funded by the State (65%), with some County funding as well. No Federal dollars go into the Residual program. This is one of the programs the Governor would like to stop funding.

How Might IHSS Cuts Impact Me?
If you fall into one of the following categories, you could be impacted if the Governor’s proposed Budget is adopted:

• A wife caring for her husband
• A husband caring for his wife
• A parent caring for a minor child
• Anyone receiving or providing protective supervision
• Anyone receiving advanced pay
• Anyone doing domestic services for someone in the same household

For more information about how you might be impacted and what you can do, please read the other articles in this newsletter.

Every California citizen expects his or her tax dollars to be used wisely. Let’s use these precious resources to assure the safety and freedom of our family, friends and neighbors who are in jeopardy of being forced out of their homes and into costly nursing homes. The Governor is even proposing to roll-back the pay for home care workers to minimum wage and eliminate pay for husbands, wives, and for parents who take care of their children with significant disabilities, forcing families to leave the home and find an outsider to do the most intimate care for their loved ones.

We must unite to look for humane solutions to patch the holes in California’s budget. Let us be sure our most vulnerable citizens aren’t bearing the brunt of the budget cuts. As responsible taxpayers and concerned citizens, we want to be sure that the In-Home Supportive Services Program is maintained for our friends, families and neighbors who choose to live in their own homes, not locked away in institutions which are 5 times more expensive. Please contact the Governor and your legislators to let them know how you feel about the potentially disastrous budget cuts to California.

PCSP? Residual? What Does It All Mean?

• The IHSS Program helps eligible consumers remain safely in their own homes instead of going into nursing homes. Eligible consumers are the elderly, the disabled, including disabled children, and the blind that receive public assistance or have low incomes. IHSS is comprised of two different programs, the Personal Care Services Program or PCSP, and the Residual Program (everything else).

PCSP Services include:

• Non-medical personal care services like feeding, bathing, bowel care, bladder care, lifting and transferring.
• Transportation to medical appointments
• Some “paramedical” services, which must be ordered by a doctor.
• Domestic services like cooking, laundry, shopping, house cleaning and errands for people who also need some of the personal care services described above.

Residual Services include:

• Families with a spouse providing care.
• Families with a parent providing care to his or her own minor child under age 18.
• Individuals needing protective supervision.
• Families or consumers receiving advance pay.
• Consumers with domestic services only, when the consumer receives NO personal care.
• Consumers who have a restaurant meal allowance (RMA). The RMA is provided to consumers who need to purchase meals or need help with meal preparation and clean up.

The Governor has proposed eliminating the Residual program.

Elimination of PCSP Domestic Services in Some Shared Living Situations
Would this apply to you? Do you live with family?
Domestic and related services include sweeping floors, dusting, storing food, preparing meals, cleaning up after meals, shopping and certain errands.

The Governor’s Proposals – Now What?
The Governor proposed IHSS cuts in his budget. These are only proposals. He must now negotiate with the Assembly and the Senate to have any or all of them implemented. He should release a revised budget in May. Two-thirds of the State Assembly and two-thirds of the State Senate must vote to approve any budget items. Both houses of the Legislature will hold hearings on the budget prior to any vote. They will listen to what the voters think and feel about these proposals before they vote.

If you have opinions about the Governor’s proposals, we encourage you to write personal letters directly to Governor Schwarzenegger, State Capitol Building, Sacramento, CA 95814. And call the Governor’s toll-free comment line at 1-800-780-9275 (press 8 and then 2).

STOP IHSS CUTS
Write or Call Your Representatives:

Senator Sam Aanestad:
State Capitol, Room 3056
Sacramento, CA 95814
Phone: 916 445 3353

Senator “Rico” Oller
State Capitol, Room 5064
Sacramento, CA 95814
Phone: 916 445 5788

Assemblyman Rick Keene
State Capitol, Room 5160
Sacramento, CA 94249
Phone: 916 319 2103

Upcoming Rallies & Hearings:
May 20th 2004
Capitol Action Day
Meet your representatives
Rally to protect IHSS

For up-to-date information on upcoming advocacy events and activities, please call FREED Center for Independent Living at
272 1732 (Voice) or 272 1764 (TTY).

“Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.’
Martin Luther King, Jr.

Provider & Consumer Training
Grass Valley, Compassion with Boundaries, Working with the Chronically Mentally Ill, Tuesday, March 16, 3:00 – 5:00 p.m., Madelyn Helling Library Community Room. For information or to register call, 274-5601

Quincy, Dementia & Communications, Tuesday, March 30, 2:00 pm – 4:00 p.m., Library Conference Room. For information or to register call Mountain Caregiver Resource Center 258-4353.

Grass Valley, Lifting and Transferring Consumers Safely, Time and place to be announced.

Grass Valley, Mandated Reporter (Abuse & Neglect), date and time to be announced.

Truckee, Mandated Reporter (Abuse & Neglect), date and time to be announced.

Downieville, Falls Prevention, date and time to be announced.
Loyalton, Falls Prevention, date and time to be announced.

Board Members Wanted!
The Public Authority is looking for interested volunteers to serve on Advisory Boards in Nevada, Sierra and Plumas counties. These board members advise the Board of Supervisors on the work of the Nevada-Sierra Regional IHSS Public Authority. Call Tony or Kathy at (530) 274-5601 to learn more about how you can volunteer.

Shared Family living arrangements are situations where a consumer lives with other family members in the same home.
Family includes those related by blood, marriage, adoption or common-law, according to the California Department of Social Services.

Currently, PCSP consumers who live with family members receive IHSS domestic service hours based on:

• How many relatives live in the home
• Whether rooms are used solely by the consumer (for example a bedroom)
• Whether some rooms are not used at all by the consumer; and
• Whether the rooms are shared by the consumer and the other family members.

The domestic hours of care are reduced (prorated) by the Social Worker based on the number of family members and how many rooms in the house are shared.

The Governor has proposed cutting PCSP domestic and related services for consumers who live with able-bodied family members. Will this apply to you?

Why Do We Need the IHSS Governing Board and the IHSS Public Authority?
The Governor has proposed eliminating the mandate for the IHSS Advisory Commission and the IHSS Public Authority. While this will mean only a minimal reduction to the State budget, it will have a profound affect on local control of IHSS.

The IHSS Governing Board is your voice. A multi-county, volunteer governing board meets once a month to conduct program oversight. More than 50% of its members are IHSS consumers or former consumers. The board also includes IHSS providers. Both of these groups have a special perspective to the IHSS process and make decisions that directly affect IHSS consumers and providers. The IHSS Governing Board meets on the 4th Friday of every month and is open to the public.

The IHSS Public Authority (PA) runs the Registry of IHSS providers, and does local background checks and reference checks on providers before they are referred to you to make the hiring decisions. The PA protects the consumer’s right to choose who will work for you in your home. We help consumers find qualified workers and help providers find jobs. The Governor wants to take this away.

News from Nevada, Sierra and Plumas Counties
Grass Valley
The office in Grass Valley has 182 consumer/provider matches. The staff there is ready to take your call to become a Registry consumer or provider. To reach them call 274-5601 for more information.

Truckee
The Truckee office has two new employees on board: Trish Sims, Registry Manager and Polly Parker, Registry/Training Specialist. The Truckee office serves Eastern Nevada County, Plumas and Sierra Counties. People interested in becoming Providers or Consumers wanting to be placed on the Registry can stop by the office or cal 587-6331.

Plumas County currently has five consumer/provider matches. If you are an IHSS Recipient or a worker wanting to be placed on our Registry for job referrals contact the Truckee office at (toll free) 866-577-6331.

Polly and Trish will be in Sierra County on Wednesday, March 3. Any IHSS Recipient wanting to sign up for the Registry or people interested in becoming a provider can call toll free 866-577-6331 to schedule their appointment.

Grass Valley Adult Day Services
Adult Day Services, formerly known as the Lutz Center has moved into a new facility 138 New Mohawk Road, #B1 Nevada City. Some of the services offered at Adult Day Services are medical oversight, physical/occupational/speech therapy, cognitive stimulation, enriching activities, nutritional lunches, transportation, and free caregiver support groups, respite care, as well as a loving and caring staff. For more information on their services call (530) 265-0605.

Seniors Against Investment Fraud
(SAIF)
The mission of Seniors Against Investment Fraud (SAIF) is to educate people in California that are 50 years and older about various forms of investment fraud and how to avoid becoming victimized. SAIF recommends the following to help keep your money safe:

1. Don’t invest until you investigate!
Call the Department of Corporation’s toll free number prior to purchasing any type of financial product.

2. Don’t Invest Right Away: Slow Down and Take Your Time
Most fraud occurs because the con artist talks the victim into making a “rushed” decision.

3. Don’t be too trusting. Remember, Appearances can be Deceiving.
Often, the nicer and more professional the salesperson appears, the greater the con artist.

4. Don’t invest more than you can afford to lose.
Remember how many years it took you to save the money you have? How much are you willing to lose if the investment turns out to be a scam?

5. Don’t believe “guaranteed” large rates of return on your investment.
There are always risks to investing. If you are promised a high return rate, be extremely cautious!

6. Don’t invest until you complete the “Four C’s”:
Consider your options.
Compare it to others.
Consult with someone you trust.
Call the Department of Corporation’s Toll Free Number (866) ASK-CORP.

Call the Department Of Corporations before you invest toll-free (866) ASK-CORP (275-2677)