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In June, Disability Rights California filed a motion in a class action lawsuit to stop the state from eliminating Adult Day Health Care (ADHC) as a Medi-Cal benefit. Filed on behalf of 35,000 individuals, the suit seeks to ensure that low-income people with disabilities, including older adults and those with Alzheimer’s, will not be harmed, including by being hospitalized or placed in nursing homes.
ASEB’s three Adult Day Health Care centers in Berkeley, Oakland, and Hayward would be directly affected by these cuts. Recognized by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation as a nationwide model, ASEB’s ADHC program provides health care, therapies, meals, and a safe and caring environment to people with Alzheimer’s disease or related conditions. Our centers are State Licensed by the California Department of Health Services and maintain a high staff to participant ratio (at least 1 trained staff member provides direct care for 5 participants). We are dedicated to offering caregivers ongoing respite, support, and education in order to sustain a high quality of life for both themselves and the people they care for.
“Elimination of this program as a Medi-Cal benefit will not only cause irreparable
harm to the tens of thousands of people affected by the cuts, but will also result in
increased costs to the State and counties in hospitalization, nursing facility
placements, Adult Protective Services, and emergency services,” says Elissa
Gershon, Senior Attorney with Disability Rights California.
Californians who participate in ADHC average 78 years old and take six or more
medications a day, for which almost two-thirds require supervision or assistance. More
than two-thirds also face at least three serious medical challenges including cardiovascular
disease, dementia, and diabetes. The overwhelming majority (92%) are entirely
dependent on Medi-Cal funding for their care at ADHCs.
For more information on the lawsuit, go to http://www.disabilityrightsca.org/advocacy/Darling-v-Douglas/index.html