Seniors Speak Out About Home Care Program Cuts Governor Rauner Wants To Make
CHICAGO (CBS) -- Seniors and Democratic lawmakers are again raising their voices to fight cuts they say Governor Rauner wants to make in their home care program.
Democratic State Representative Greg Harris said a $120-million cut Governor Rauner wants to make to home care for the elderly is not just bad public policy, but dangerous. WBBM's Political Editor Craig Dellimore reports.
"The Governor is proposing having on-call apps to send strangers into the people's homes to deliver them services, rather than a usual caregiver," Harris said.
82-year-old disabled retiree Robert Wright said he needs the home care worker he trusts and depends on, and who visits more than she has to.
"Seven days a week, she gets paid for three," Wright said. "We live in a senior building, she comes to checks on me, she cooks for me."
But, Mike Deering, spokesman for the Illinois Department on Aging, says the CRP, is a reasonable approach to sustain the services offered long-term to ensure that seniors are able to live independently in their homes as long as possible. And it's not a once size fits all policy.
Read Deering's full statement below:
"The Community Reinvestment Program is a reasonable approach to sustain the services offered long-term to ensure that our seniors are able to live independently in their homes as long as possible. CRP is not a one-size-fits-all approach; those who need more assistance in living on their own receive it, and those requiring less accommodation will have the necessary services tailored to meet their needs."