Can the disabled escape nursing homes?
For years disabled people were forced to live in nursing homes. Even if they became well enough in hospitals to take care of themselves communities refused to accept them. Home owner associations created rules that made it all but impossible to live in a home in the neighborhood. Numerous attempts were made to sue the neighborhoods to allow the disabled to live there but to9 no avail. Then the Olstead Law was enacted that allowed the disabled to live wherever they wished to. The federal law overruled the numerous home association rules but the home owners went to court to fight the new law. Evidently the disabled were believed to be an alien live form to be avoided at all costs.The last thing that these groups wanted was for their children to see someone in a wheelchair. (Source: Public News Service)
This continued to the Supreme Court which upheld the Oldstead Act and the disabled were finally allowed to live wherever they wanted – just like every other American. This law is now in danger of being destroyed by the medical industry. Medicare was designed to help the disabled to pay for medical bills and to gain access to prescription drugs. While this helped the disabled to live better lives and to pay for medical care without the fear of filing for bankruptcy. However, Medicare as well as other insurance companies are only willing pay for the disabled to be treated in nursing homes. This means that people that can take care of themselves but need nurses to administer drugs once a day or need help dressing cannot do it at home are stuck in the hospital or nursing home.
The Community Choice Act, presently being debated in the Senate, would once again give the disabled the choice of where to live when they need skilled nursing care. This act would force insurance companies to pay for skilled nurses at home which would save money b not paying for a hospital type setting, This also allows the disabled to have a real life outside of the hospital nursing home. While in a nursing home, you are a prisoner – unable to leave to go shopping or visit a friend. Never being able to leave your room is tantamount to being sent to jail. Supposedly you have rights according to the constitution, but not according to your insurance company and the nursing home.
Now is the time to call your congressman and senators to let them know what you need in the new Medicare overhaul bill. The disabled community is terrible at getting off their behinds and getting involved in the lawmaking process. We realize it can be difficult when pain is high or there are man doctor appointments, but while sitting in the waiting room call your governmental officials. The work for you and they are paid a fortune to listen to what you have to say. Medicare will never be any better than it is now if we just sit and do nothing. Washington will believe that everything is fine and will leave all the screw ups and insane practices in place if we do nothing. Please call and become part of the process. Democracies are not spectator sports – they expect that all the voters will learn about what is going on and will tell they congressmen their wishes. Don’t let someone else make your decisions for you, believe us when we tell you that others will not make good decisions for you.
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