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Home > Blogs > Butler County News and Issues > Archives > 2009 > April > 26 > Entry
County: State cuts put elderly at risk
Hundreds of elderly Butler County residents will be put at risk of abuse or even death and dozens more could be forced into nursing homes by proposed cuts to the state budget, according to county officials.
House Democrats proposed a budget this week that included $12.5 million for adult protective services statewide, compared to $62 million in previous years.
This could decimate the program, worries county officials.
This is a program that investigates abuse, neglect or exploitation of elderly residents. There were 576 such allegations involving 493 people last year, 271 of which were found to be valid, according to Kevin Kurpieski, program supervisor.
Many of these cases are self-neglect, when someone ceases to be able to take care of themselves. Kurpieski said his workers often find homes with trash, newspaper and clothing “in piles up to levels you would not even imagine, those are prob some of the most common things we see.”
“With the five workers and myself, it’s a challenge every day to try to serve the population we’re working with,” he said.
This was with $989,267 in funding for this year. If the budget isn’t changed, only a fraction of this will be there when the new fiscal year starts in July.
“It is a critical service for older adults in the community that are subject to those kinds of issues,” said Cynthia Stever, director of LifeSpan, which is administers the county’s elderly services program.
“If we didn’t have adult protective services in Butler County, we could see another Marcus Fiesel on the other end of the spectrum,” she said.
LifeSpan provides the county’s homemaker and personal care service, which helps more than 85 disabled or elderly clients with household tasks so they can stay in their homes. The funding cut would reduce the service to nothing, Stever said.
“Two hours a week to keep them in their own apartment or home is a lot less expensive than having to put them in a facility, and that’s the alternative,” Stever said.
“I’m able to have the girl run my errands, she cleans, things like that…me being disabled, those services are really urgent, they are really needed,” said Sheila Knox, 51, of Middletown.
“If not for their services, to be honest, I would be living in filth.”
LifeSpan wrote a letter to Butler County Commissioners, who in turn wrote a letter to the county’s four state lawmakers asking them to restore the funding.
“Without these services, there is a risk of injury or death of the elderly of Butler County because there are no other funds to cover the cost of these vital services,” says the letter from commissioners.
State Rep. William Coley, R-West Chester Twp., lambasted the Democratic majority, saying they are giving money away to special interest constituents but “slashing programs that are vital to the absolute most vulnerable citizens we have.”
“It’s just another example of the bizarre priorities we’re seeing from the administration,” he said.
The House is schedule to vote on the budget next week. Then it goes to the GOP-controlled Senate for consideration. It must be enacted by June 30.
Permalink | Comments (2) | Post your comment | Categories: Butler County, Economy, Statewide issues
Comments
By karen prater
April 27, 2009 12:28 AM | Link to this
i was getting paid to take care of my brother james cox at home,i dont trust anyone else that,i dont trust them.ive had him for11 years,but no one beats down the door to help me,he is the mosst important person in my life.its hurting but life,this is not fair i do more hours but i can only get 18 to 20 hours a week.please can someone change this,cause no matter what i will not!i will never put him in a nursing home.i shouldnt have to karen prater
By Gail
April 27, 2009 8:51 AM | Link to this
I find intesting that one of our commissioners has vested interest in nursing homes. This will upset me the eldery will be forced to go into thei to into ghere nurrusing homes