Democratic whip NYS Sen. Kevin Parker is calling on Gov. Andrew Cuomo to protect Consumer Directed Personal Assistance _ a highly-successful program where disabled and elderly people can hire friends, neighbors and even relatives as caregivers. Parker's Chief of Staff Vaughn Mayers, emailed Ability Fierce a copy of a letter strongly urging the governor to "protect the current" program. In the letter Parker warns the program's elimination would "force numbers of people into institutions."
"This will create a disaster for the disabled community, which accounts for 7 percent of the population in my district and the elderly who account for 24 percent," Parker's letter states.
The consumer directed program originated in New York and its now model being emulated in a number of other states. It succeeds because it allows the consumer to better tailor their care to their needs. Programs like these represent the future of home care _ something which will only grow in importance as the population ages. With economists predicting massive job
loss to Artificial Intelligence in the coming years, caregiving jobs will represent a growing portion of the shrinking employment pie. If these jobs are invested with dignity and compensated with real, living wages, they can provide a boost to the local economy and at the same time help people with disabilities be better integrated into society. It's a win-win situation.
Thanks, Senator! I believe the battle has only begun.
Read the rest of the letter below:
