Comments on: Bill Would Allow Medicare to Cover Adult Day Care http://phinational.org/archives/house-bill-would-allow-medicare-to-cover-adult-day-care/ PHI works to improve long-term care -- by improving the jobs of home health aides, certified nurse aides, & personal care attendants. Sat, 19 May 2012 10:15:06 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: Cecelia Sullivan http://phinational.org/archives/house-bill-would-allow-medicare-to-cover-adult-day-care/comment-page-1/#comment-4092 Cecelia Sullivan Tue, 14 Jul 2009 12:13:21 +0000 http://phinational.org/?p=4106#comment-4092 My husband, Joe, in 2000 was diagnosed with early onset Alzheimer's. Joe was 58 years old. When my concern for a safe environment compromised my ability to work, Joe was enrolled in an Adult Day Program. He was the youngest attendee. He was big, mobile and strong. Ironically, the same day I accepted a long-term assignment to work with behaviorally and cognitively challenged children in an elementary school, I learned Joe would not be allowed to continue attending the Adult Day Program. Io avoid prematurely invilidizing Joe, I stopped working. Adult Day Programs are a blessing for many attendees and their families/advocates. However, Adult Day Programs must have staff who are specifically educated to work with attendees who are not: arts & crafts or sit & stay. The direct care workforce is in dire need of attention. Please check the Senior Resources - Agency on Aging website: www.seniorresourcesect.org to learn what the Direct Care Workforce Shortage Team proposes in their White Paper: When No One Cares. It is not enough to mandate Adult Day Program services when the direct care staff is either not in place or not properly trained and supervised. Including Adult Day Programs in the Health Care Reform discussion is necessary. Families should not have to risk impoverishment to provide appropriate and best care practices for their loved one. Thank you for calling attention to the need to provide Adult Day Programs in the Health Care Reform discussion. Cecelia Sullivan, MS Ed., HTPA Care Partner & Family Advocate Hospice Educated Volunteer PO Box 167 Oakdale, CT 06370-0167 My husband, Joe, in 2000 was diagnosed with early onset Alzheimer’s. Joe was 58 years old.
When my concern for a safe environment compromised my ability to work, Joe was enrolled in an Adult Day Program. He was the youngest attendee. He was big, mobile and strong.
Ironically, the same day I accepted a long-term assignment to work with behaviorally and cognitively challenged children in an elementary school, I learned Joe would not be allowed to continue attending the Adult Day Program.
Io avoid prematurely invilidizing Joe, I stopped working.

Adult Day Programs are a blessing for many attendees and their families/advocates. However, Adult Day Programs must have staff who are specifically educated to work with attendees who are not: arts & crafts or sit & stay. The direct care workforce is in dire need of attention. Please check the Senior Resources – Agency on Aging website: http://www.seniorresourcesect.org to learn what the Direct Care Workforce Shortage Team proposes in their White Paper: When No One Cares. It is not enough to mandate Adult Day Program services when the direct care staff is either not in place or not properly trained and supervised.

Including Adult Day Programs in the Health Care Reform discussion is necessary. Families should not have to risk impoverishment to provide appropriate and best care practices for their loved one.

Thank you for calling attention to the need to provide Adult Day Programs in the Health Care Reform discussion.

Cecelia Sullivan, MS Ed., HTPA
Care Partner & Family Advocate
Hospice Educated Volunteer
PO Box 167
Oakdale, CT 06370-0167

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