In the last couple of weeks, I have had the opportunity to speak with some of our local government representatives in both the state Senate and Assembly. In Governor Cuomo’s newest budget there are a number of things that impact how we can do business, and in the case of our Consumer Directed Personal Assistance Program, whether or not we can continue to do business at all. The one thing through all of this that I found was that everyone seems to want to do the right thing to help the most vulnerable in our community, but a clear and affordable way to do it is difficult.

I can say that no matter who I talked to, they were all approachable and listened to what I had to say about how these proposed changes are going to effect those we take care of. I know in this charged political climate it can be tough to pay attention, or that you can feel powerless to help effect change. If anything, these meetings taught me that that is not the case. They showed me that there can be a human side to our government, and with that human side comes a lack of understanding of what each and every one of us goes through to do the work that we do, or in the case of those we take care of, how important their services are to them and their families.

I would ask that if you feel passionate about what is happening, that you become active and reach out to your legislators. The changes we make today are going to have long lasting effects on how the people of tomorrow are taken care of, how our loved ones are able to stay in home and age as they want to age. Many of our elected officials want to help, but they do not understand the problems that we face in the home care world, nor do they understand how some of the legislation and the budget they are voting on impacts that world. I would ask that you speak up if you have an issue and talk to those in government. In my experience they will listen, but there needs to be more voices.

To find your local representatives, please click here. For more information on the NYS budget, click here. If you have questions on how to reach out to your representatives, please contact someone in the office and we can help.