10B DAYTON DAILY NEWS

OPINION
Dayton Daily News
The First Cox Newspaper

BRAD TILLSON
PUBLISHER

JEFF BRUCE
EDITOR

STEVE SIDLO
MANAGING EDITOR

HAP CAWOOD
EDITOR OF THE EDITORIAL PAGES

DOUG FRANKLIN
EXEC. VICE PRESIDENT,
GENERAL MANAGER

JAMES M. COX, PUBLISHER 1898-1957
JAMES M. COX JR., PUBLISHER 1957-1974

EDITORIALS
[Headline] Long term care options worth effort
HANDCUFFING THEMSELVES TO doors and blocking entrances to state buildings, a group of disabled demonstrators spent most of last week in Columbus fighting for a supportable goal: giving 'disabled people the opportunity to choose long-term, at-home care over nursing-home care.

Ohio and most other states are biased toward financial help for nursing homes.

The group, called ADAPT (American Disabled for Attendant Programs Today), wants Ohio to jr pass House Bill 215, which was introduced in March to an unenthusiastic committee.


The bill is patterned after national legislation that would set up a voucher-like plan for the disabled who qualify for state assistance. Medicaid or other funds would follow the recipients to the homes of their choosing. Sounds fair enough. But federal and state governments cite lack of funds as the reason they are reluctant to change the system.

True, the tactics of the protesters in Columbus, some from Ohio, may have done more harm than good. Still, the disabled have a right to protest and a duty to be responsible for $8,200 worth of property damage they caused. In ADAPT's case, the state is considering billing the Denver-based group for damages.

[Headline] ViewPoints

But ADAPT raises points that Ohio's governor, legislators and policy-makers must consider:

Ohio ranks 45th in the nation in the percent-age of funds spent for long-term care in homes or a community-based facilities.

It ranks 47th in progress toward a system that supports home- and community-based services.

The state is surpassed only by five states in the total number of people in nursing homes.

Ohio spends 98 percent of its Medicaid long-; term-care dollars on institutional programs and only 7 percent on community services.

Gov. Bob Taft and others say Ohio is working to increase community-based services But the governor is also frustrated that ADAPT chose confrontation over his attempts to talk with the group. From the group's perspective, though, maybe its national plan of demonstrating in state capitals is the result of frustration as well. Leaders in state and federal governments have long agreed with supporting at-home and community-based care, but rhetoric has not led to significant changes in policies.

A few demonstrated last week, but the policies favoring nursing homes affects far more disabled Ohioans and their families At the least, the House can take HB 215 off the shelf and schedule hearings.

נוצר ב

חמישי 18 יולי 2013

פורסם ב

שישי 6 דצמבר 2019

אלבומים

• Columbus Ohio, fall 1999

ביקורים

158

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