Mass. Governor Proposes 11% Funding Boost for State Home Care Program

Massachusetts’ governor has proposed a nearly 11% increase to the state’s home care budget for fiscal year 2015—a boost of about $16.5 million, reports the Patriot Ledger.

Gov. Deval Patrick’s funding proposal represents the largest investment his administration has made into the state’s Home Care Program, according to Al Norman, executive director of Mass Home Care.

Frail seniors in the state have access to services including meals, home health aides, “homemakers,” and transportation that allows them to remain in their homes rather than move into a skilled nursing facility. 

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For the state’s basic home care program, the additional funds will allow care managers to provide an additional hour of “homemaker” services each month, according to Norman. 

“Norman said that the Patrick administration expects the funding will pay for the projected enrollment in the enhanced home care program avoid having to place people 60 and older on waiting lists for that level of care,” the Patriot Ledger reports. “In the enhanced program, the funding increase will allow more than 5,000 elders to remain at home.”

On average, home care program participants receiving “enhanced” services are able to stay at home for one year and non months longer than they would have been able to without the program.

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Read the full article at the Patriot Ledger. 

Written by Alyssa Gerace