News from Annapolis                                                         June 10, 2010

Dear Friends,
snowy state house
 
    None of us want to think about going to a nursing home when we grow old. But in today's fragmented world of long-term care, that's exactly where we will go if we lack money and family support.
   Why? Under the existing maze of publicly funded long-term care, the frail elderly and people with disabilities have a Medicaid "entitlement" to expensive nursing home care. We do not get the chance to choose less expensive home or community-based services because the waiting list for the required Medicaid Older Adults Waiver is thousands of people long.
   My heart goes out to those trapped in institutional care when they really would rather be in their own homes or in an assisted-living setting.
   Since being appointed this spring to the Long-Term Care Reform Workgroup by House Speaker Michael Busch, I have intensified my efforts to re-balance Maryland's long-term care system. We must have the option to remain in our homes and communities as we age, two choices that offer substantial cost savings to individuals and taxpayers alike.
   Currently, nursing homes are the gateway through which we must enter to get residential Medicaid services. According to the county Department of Aging, the cost of a nursing home to the Medicaid program is more than $70,000 a year. In contrast, the cost of assisted living to Medicaid ranges in the low $20,000s.
   Several years ago, I had my first encounter with this broken system when I learned that a dear 100-year-old constituent would have to leave her beloved assisted-living facility and the friends she had made there because her family ran out of money to make her monthly payments. Destination? A much more costly nursing home, courtesy of our Medicaid tax dollars.
   My long-term care work group meets next week at the state Department of Health and Mental Hygiene to hear from patient advocates, local health departments, eldercare attorneys and long-term care facilities. To me, the voices that resonate most are those of my constituents. All of us age, and all of us pay taxes.
 
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According to recent statistics, Americans with disabilities and those who are aging are gravely concerned about preserving their independence and freedom.

  • Seniors over age 65 fear placement in a nursing home and loss of independence more than death.
  • Eighty-nine percent of seniors want to age in place; in other words, they want to grow older without having to move from their homes.
  • 80.5 percent of total national long-term care spending goes to those aged 65 or older.
  • Nine-tenths of the community dwelling long-term care population relies on unpaid help (i.e., family member, friend, relative or volunteer) as the primary source of help with daily activities.
  • Nursing homes are primarily paid for by Medicaid, plus out-of-pocket copayments.
  • Per person expenditures are five times as high, and national expenditures three times as high, for nursing home residents compared to community residents.
     Amerigroup Corporation


 
  
June is the month for celebrations, and I was fortunate enough to be part of several:
  • More than 100 volunteers gathered to be recognized at an award ceremony Wednesday at Springfield Hospital. Special recognition was given to Betty Jean Maus for her 55 years of service to volunteers and patients. Other volunteers, including  churches and the Women's Auxiliary, were lauded for their help with parties, the hospital's boutique and canteen and also for pet therapy visits.
  • The Gerstell Academy in Finksburg, an independent pre-K through 12 school focusing on leadership, graduated a bright class of eighth graders on Tuesday. As their commencement speaker, I urged the students to lead with humility and encouragement as they move on to high school.
  • I also awarded $35,500 in state scholarships to 31 students in our district. Awards ranged from $500 to $2,000. Money for the scholarships came from the Delegate Scholarship Program, created by the General Assembly in 1957 for students who plan to attend colleges, universities or career schools in Maryland. Students from Liberty, Century and Westminster High Schools, as well as Chapelgate Christian Academy and Seton Keough High School, received scholarships. District 9B scholarship applications for the 2011-2012 school year will be available in February.

Carroll Residents Fight Skin Cancer through "Safer in the Shade" Program and Annual Triathlon
   Carroll residents of all ages join in the fight against skin cancer this month. 

   Liberty High School students and faculty worked with the Partnership for a Healthier Carroll County on a project to help youth learn about the risk of skin cancer.

   Through the "Safer in the Shade" program, youth plant shade trees in places lacking sun protection as they learn about melanoma prevention. I suggested Liberty as the 2010 site for "Safer in the Shade", because of my concern for students and spectators using the wide-open athletic areas. On May 27, students and faculty planted white pines around Liberty's baseball fields.  

   This project isn't the only thing Carroll County residents are doing to fight skin cancer this summer. On June 20, the Joanna M. Nicolay Melanoma Foundation is holding its annual TRI-TO-WIN triathlon in Westminster. Prior to the event, racers raise funds for melanoma research and prevention. Then, they swim 400 meters, bike 14 miles and run 5 kilometers to complete the race. As a member of the honorary board for the Joanna M. Nicolay Melanoma Foundation, I strongly support the hard work and research this organization is doing to fight and prevent skin cancer.

   For more information on the "Safer in the Shade" program, click here. To find out more or to register for the Joanna M. Nicolay Melanoma Foundation triathlon, click here.