You only live once, but if you do it right, once is enough.
~ Boxing legend Joe Louis
Vunies High, 95, was found frozen to death two days ago in the Detroit suburb of Southfield, outside the Heatherwood retirement complex where she lived. She had Alzheimer’s Disease. Ms. High had been a teacher and a counselor in the Detroit Public Schools for twenty-five years prior to her retirement.
She was also the sister of Joe Louis.
The following is from a statement by Bruce Yarwood, President and CEO of the American Health Care Association and National Center for Assisted Living, which represents nearly 11,000 non-profit and proprietary facilities caring for over 1.5 million Americans:
Reports that the Bush Administration's proposed budget for FY 2009 will not include a Medicare market basket update for the care of America’s oldest, sickest nursing home residents is disappointing – and disregards the specific policy guidance offered by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), which, just months ago, said a funding update is necessary to promote 'program efficiency, quality and sustainability.
These cuts are a particular concern since Medicaid payments for long term care are likely to shrink in states that are hard-hit by the economic downturn, which Congress is seeking to ameliorate in its economic stimulus package. Consumers deserve the highest quality care and services across the spectrum of health care settings, and employees deserve well-paid, positive work environments. As long term care providers, it is our responsibility to provide that level of care to our patients, and to ensure we have the well-trained staff to provide such care. The Administration’s budget, however, severely undermines our ability to continue doing so.
Sen. Max Baucus (D.- Mont.), chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, which has jurisdiction over Medicare and Medicaid, has responded to the proposed budget cuts by saying, "This administration ought to know that five years' worth of Medicare and Medicaid cuts totaling $200 billion are dead on arrival with me and with most of the Congress." This is important, but of course we have heard many promises that this Congress will stand up to the administration, and have not always been satisfied with the results.
Most of the elderly who die while being cared for by nursing homes and assisted living facilities will not have their deaths commemorated by the Associated Press. Ms. High is not only notable for the life that she led, but because she is representative of thousands of elderly people who are lost through insufficient service and neglect in this nation every year.
Ms. High was a public servant, a union member, and the sibling of one of America’s most famous celebrities of the twentieth century. She deserved better than to die alone, in her pajamas, in the cold of the Detroit winter. So do thousands of other elderly Americans.
And you can help make a difference. You can contact Sen. Baucus and tell him that his holding to his promise to resist these cuts called for by the President is important to you. You can contact your personal representatives in Congress as well.
But perhaps most importantly, you can volunteer to make a difference in the care of assisted living patients in your own community. The American Association of Homes and Services for the Aging is a national organization which, among other things, helps match volunteers with local programs which need your help. You can visit their volunteer page to get started. Another excellent organization is Generations United , which specializes in helping younger people find volunteer opportunities with the elderly.
But if nothing else, you can hear the story of Vunies High, and remember that we can find a way to do better for our elderly.
Sen. Max Baucus
511 Hart Senate Office Bldg.
Washington, D.C. 20510
(202) 224-2651