Printable Verison for this Alert note: acrobat format
Home Care Waitlists Report note: acrobat format
Tracking Form - Online Version
Tracking Form - Download Version note: acrobat format
Model Letters note: acrobat format
English
Spanish
Chinese
AN ASTOUNDING 500 HOMEBOUND SENIORS ARE ON WAITING LISTS
FOR HOME CARE FUNDED BY THE DEPARTMENT FOR THE AGING (DFTA)!
IT’S TIME TO SEND MAYOR BILL DE BLASIO A STRONG MESSAGE –
AS THE MAYOR FOR ALL NEW YORKERS, YOU HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY
TO FULLY FUND HOME CARE IMMEDIATELY IN THE CITY’S NOVEMBER PLAN!
WHY WAS FUNDING WAS CUT FROM $4.3 MILLION TO $2 MILLION?
What is happening:
- LiveOn NY recently surveyed case management agencies to document the waiting lists – 500 homebound seniors waiting and the number can only grow! CLICK HERE to see the waitlists.
- In August, DFTA notified case management agencies that there would be a freeze on home care hours. LiveOn NY’s understanding of this situation is that DFTA ran out of hours because there were problems allocating the hours around the city and then a budget cut to the home care program. That means there will be 10 months left to the fiscal year with no home care!
- In FY 2015-16 there was $4.3 million in home care. These funds came from City Council so were discretionary and only good for one year.
- In the current fiscal year, FY2016-17, there’s only $2 million. That’s almost a 50% cut in funds. The funds came from the Mayor’s office. The funds are good for only one year. This is called the “budget dance” – placing lives of 500 homebound seniors at risk.
- Very soon, in mid-November, Mayor de Blasio will release his “November Plan”. In this plan the Mayor can add or reduce funding. This means the Mayor can make sure the full $4.3 million is added to DFTA’s budget and “baselined” (made permanent).
Action you can take:
- Take part in LiveOn NY’s Letter Writing Campaign to urge the Mayor to fully fund home care immediately. When you’re age 80+, you can’t wait.
- Timing is crucial – mail letters by November 22.
- Senior Centers and programs can urge seniors to participate by following these directions:
- Print out and share this alert with seniors at your programs as soon as possible.
- CLICK HERE to print out copies of the model letters, which are available in English, Chinese and Spanish. Seniors can simply sign the letters.
- Collect letters and mail all letters in bulk by November 22 to: Mayor de Blasio, City Hall, New York, NY 10007.
- CLICK HERE to complete and send the Tracking Form to LiveOn NY so we can measure our impact. You can email the Tracking Form as an attachment to acianfrani@liveon-ny.org or mail to LiveOn NY 49 West 45th Street, 7th Floor, New York, NY 10036.
We know that the remarkable aging network, all of you, will not allow homebound seniors to sit on waiting lists. We need to work together to stand up for those who can’t advocate for themselves! You’ve done this before and we know you will do it again. Thank you.
For further information, please contact Bobbie Sackman, Associate Executive Director of Public Policy, (212) 398-6565, x226 or bsackman@liveon-ny.org or Andrea Cianfrani, Deputy Director of Public Policy, (212) 398-6565 x233 or acianfrani@liveon-ny.org