By Thomas Goldsmith
Many obstacles remain before passage, but provisions a state House subcommittee’s proposal could bring more spending money to North Carolinians in assisted living, as well as more help for those who receive community-based services such as Meals on Wheels.
Among the highest-profile measures from the NC Health and Human Services appropriations subcommittee is a proposal to increase spending money from $46 to $70 monthly for people using public assistance who live in adult care centers, or assisted living. Coverage of the personal needs allowance, or PNA, has brought accounts of strapped residents, including women in residential care who have sold sex to meet expenses, a detail that drew recognition from state long-term ombudsmen.
Rep. Cynthia Ball (D-Raleigh), a sponsor of the PNA legislation, noted that Senate budget writers have yet to weigh in with their proposals. And conferees from both chambers must resolve differences and get a signature from Gov. Roy Cooper before the budget is a done deal.
“I’m delighted to see that it’s being considered and I hope it remains in the budget when it comes back from the Senate,” Ball said during a weekend phone interview. “It is very important to protect some of our most vulnerable citizens and it’s been a long time coming.”
The measure, backed by both advocates for older people and the long-term care industry, would cost $5.5 million during the two-year budget period and become effective Oct. 1.
Under another provision, about 2,000 additional people could benefit from Meals on Wheels, in-home aides, transportation, congregate meals and other services paid for by NC Home and Community Care Block Grants. More than 10,000 people are on waiting lists for this help, according to the Department of Health and Human Services’ Division of Aging and Adult Services.
During the two-year budget period, the expanded HCCBG services would require about $9 million in funds designed to allow people to remain at home with services instead of entering long-term care, which can be far more expensive.
Advocates have pushed for years for substantial increases in the fund.
“This is the first significant increase for the Home and Community Care Block Grant since the 2006 and 2008 budgets,” said Mary Bethel, executive director of the North Carolina Coalition on Aging.
The House proposals include several items that would benefit older people not included in Cooper’s budget. At this stage, provisions may come and go as the chambers and Cooper push for top priorities, among them Medicaid expansion, schools construction and tax changes.
“We are very appreciative of the work of some of the legislators on behalf of some of our issues,” Bethel said. “We are pleased that there is a little money for APS.”
[sponsor]The state’s Adult Protective Services, or APS, mandate to protect people from neglect or abuse is funded from the coffers of North Carolina’s 100 counties, which are required to evaluate and deal with problems. The proposed cost of increasing APS workers in county governments would be $893,041 for each year of the two-year budget and would be drawn from the federal Social Services Block Grant.
Among other additional proposed spending, there’s $12,000 per year for the Senior Tar Heel Legislature advocacy group’s meetings, $420,000 per year for food and nutrition for people eligible for both Medicare and Medicaid and $1.4 million per year for systems that electronically verify visits by in-home care workers,
A special budget provision recommends $232,757 per year for the N.C. Senior Games.
The budget is officially scheduled for completion by June 31, but in many years, the General Assembly has often run past that date.
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