Stand Up for Alabama’s Seniors and Homebound!

The Alabama Legislature has proposed budget cuts as high as 50% to home- and community-based services (HCBS) for the elderly and homebound. These services include: prescription assistance, meals on wheels, home health aides, personal care assistants, respite care, and other critical services.

HCBS allow the elderly and homebound to remain in their homes, rather than being forced into costly institutions. These services, which are funded by the Alabama Department of Senior Services (ADSS) and local councils on aging, are not only essential for the recipients and their families, they are economical. According to ADSS, the cost per person for HCBS is $838 per month, while the cost of nursing home care is $5,900 per month – 700% more than HCBS.

Additionally, these cuts will impact communities across the state, causing the loss of both jobs and federal matching funds. Currently, the state receives $2 in federal matching funds for every $1 spent by the state on these services.

Alabamians deserve to live independently at home—where they want to be—instead of being forced from their homes and into institutions that will increase the cost to taxpayers and family caregivers. We need you to call your legislators today and tell them not to cut these vital services.

URGENT ACTION NEEDED

Tell your Alabama state legislators to stop the extreme budget cuts threatening the Department of Senior Services. You can find the contact information for your Alabama state legislators by clicking here:  http://capwiz.com/state-al/home/