California Governor Vetoes Adult Day Care Alternative
CONTRA COSTA COUNTY (KCBS) - The future is uncertain for many of California's frail and elderly after Governor Jerry Brown rejected an alternative to Adult Day Care Services around the state.
Adult Day Care was eliminated when the state budget was signed last month.
KCBS' Dave Padilla:
The governor Monday vetoed a bill that would've offered an alternative to that program.
Debbie Toth, an adult day care center provider in Contra Costa, said the governor knows the importance of Adult Day Health Care.
"He was in office when Adult Day Health Care became a state benefit, and he's in office now eliminating it," she said.
"To me it's totally unfathomable."
Contra Costa County has three adult day care centers that serve more than 380 people.
Director of County Adult and Aging Services John Cottrell said he's concerned many seniors will end up in nursing homes.
"It's always possible that someone will have to go to a more restrictive level of care. When this does happen, we'll try to prevent that," he said.
Funding for roughly 300 existing centers will be cut off on December 1st, and more than 35,000 California seniors with special needs, ranging from physical therapy to counseling, will have their support end at that time.
Some health care professionals say the state could end up paying more in the long run.
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