Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger's proposed budget would eliminate state funding for adult day health care services beginning in March. Operators of the programs are trying to fight back.
Adult day health care programs provide skilled nursing services and psychiatric care to 36,000 Californians. Most of the clients are elderly or disabled.
The state pays $76 a day to care for each client. The governor's proposed cut would save about $104 million a year.
Luba Vaisman is with Casa Pacifica, an adult day health care program in Otay Mesa.
"I guess we're the easiest to target, to take care of the $20 billion budget deficit," complains Vaisman. "The sick ones, the poor ones, the old ones, they cannot speak for themselves."
Vaisman says many of her clients would be forced to go into a nursing home if her program closed.
