In January, Gov. Jerry Brown proposed eliminating all state support, approximately $176 million, for Adult Day Health Care (ADHC) programs, such as those that operate at ASEB’s three centers in Berkeley, Oakland, and Hayward. Over the following weeks, legislators heard testimony from a number of groups, including ASEB. In March, Brown signed legislation that scaled back the original cuts by half but left unclear how adult ADHC centers will continue to operate with such drastic reduction in funding. The plan eliminates funding tagged for optional Medi-Cal purposes and instead allocates $85 million in other Medi-Cal money for a new program called Keeping Adults from Institutions. The state would need a federal waiver letting the state use those other Medi-Cal funds, which the federal government would match.
Adult Day Health Care is a lifeline for many of our state’s low-income, disabled, and elderly adults, allowing them to remain in their homes rather than face institutionalization in a full-time facility. While we at ASEB are deeply disappointed by this news, we are determined to continue offering affordable services for individuals who can no longer fully care for themselves.
Our goals are to:
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- Maintain our role as a pioneer in person-centered Adult Day Health Care
- Continue to set the standard for caregiver education and support
- Develop partnerships with like-minded agencies to minimize costs
- Build relationships with residential long-term care providers to improve their non-clinical dementia care services
- Create a dynamic, web-based outreach system to enhance interactions with our supporters, participants, and community
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ASEB has many plans in the works to cope with changes to the state budget. Please visit this space to follow our developments in the coming months.