"[H]oping [that]...individuals will work with their communities, with their churches, with their families to figure out a way for the services to continue to be provided..."
There are so very many things wrong with that position. The state agency that has overseen these services for many years is now going to rely on HOPE: hope that those they are charged with protecting and supporting will miraculously find the self-reliance, suddenly, to tap the vast, as-yet unmined wealth of community resources that -- somehow, in every individual's case, coincidentally -- were never called upon before these individuals turned to the state for the assistance they needed.
It is because these community and family resources do not exist. Individuals in need have already been relying on family and community resources, and there is nothing more to tap. It is presumptious of the state to think that these individuals did not seek help from those closest to them before turning to state assistance programs like IHSS. Their families are there to help them every day of their lives, giving everything they have, and there is nothing to give they haven't already sacrificed. What's more, leaving these individuals and their families (those who have families; many do not have such resources) to "figure out a way" to keep providing for their basic needs is careless of the state. Planning for care should be left in the hands of experienced caregivers, even if care is provided in part by community resources.
66° Partly Cloudy
Caregiver Sick About IHSS Cuts
"[H]oping [that]...individuals will work with their communities, with their churches, with their families to figure out a way for the services to continue to be provided..."
There are so very many things wrong with that position. The state agency that has overseen these services for many years is now going to rely on HOPE: hope that those they are charged with protecting and supporting will miraculously find the self-reliance, suddenly, to tap the vast, as-yet unmined wealth of community resources that -- somehow, in every individual's case, coincidentally -- were never called upon before these individuals turned to the state for the assistance they needed.
It is because these community and family resources do not exist. Individuals in need have already been relying on family and community resources, and there is nothing more to tap. It is presumptious of the state to think that these individuals did not seek help from those closest to them before turning to state assistance programs like IHSS. Their families are there to help them every day of their lives, giving everything they have, and there is nothing to give they haven't already sacrificed. What's more, leaving these individuals and their families (those who have families; many do not have such resources) to "figure out a way" to keep providing for their basic needs is careless of the state. Planning for care should be left in the hands of experienced caregivers, even if care is provided in part by community resources.
September 29, 2009 at 1:02 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )