A Balancing Act

Happy New Year to all our Beacon friends and readers!

Last year was a pivotal year for all elders and caregivers in the state. The state legislature and Governor Romney passed into law the concept that elders and the disabled should be able to live in the least restrictive setting possible. Commonly known as the Equal Choice bill, this new legislation mandates that elders who qualify for publicly-funded long-term care services have the option of having those services delivered in a community setting or in a long-term care facility. In effect, elders who receive help from the state will be given the opportunity to receive this care in their homes instead of being forced to receive it in a nursing home. Individuals who pay privately for their care will be able to learn about the various options available in the community by meeting with a community care advisor. As the name implies, Equal Choice delivers choices to elders.

Now, in 2007, we are presented with the long-sought after task of implementing Equal Choice. Undoubtedly, the implementation will be a challenge as we must ensure that elders who decide to remain in the community have the highest quality of care so that they may live in safety and with dignity. We must think carefully and we must move steadily forward.

Our progress will be dependent on the continued support of the legislature and the support of the Patrick administration. Governor Patrick agrees with the idea behind Equal Choice. In fact, Governor Patrick and his transition team deemed the legislation’s implementation a “priority.” The administration wrote:

Currently the long-term care system in Massachusetts favors institutional care over care in the community and at home. This neither respects the wishes of most older adults, nor follows the law of requiring care in the least restrictive environment, nor spends public dollars prudently. Through Medicaid and Medicare waivers and other strategies, my administration will expand opportunities for older adults and the disabled to stay in and connected to their communities as their care needs increase…

It is crucial that elders’ ability to remain in their community becomes a real choice. Elder advocates across the state are counting on the Patrick administration to build upon the momentum of the legislature and those who came before him to make Equal Choice a reality experienced by elders everyday.

I believe that in the early months of the New Year we are off to a promising start. Governor Patrick has established a goal that spending for institutional care and community-based care be balanced 50/50 by the end of his first administration. Today, only one-third of spending goes to community care while the lion’s share is spent in institutions.

This new balance proposed by the Governor would help so many elders realize their wish to live where they want to live. I look forward to helping achieve this important goal for all elders.