Give disabled a home choice

Cassie James Holdsworth and Nancy Salandra

are, respectively, director of policy and advocacy and director of independent-living services for Liberty Resources

The Community Choice Act has been languishing in Washington for 15 years, despite the considerable benefits - in both lifestyle and finances - it would yield for many Americans.

The act is a piece of federal legislation that would amend the Social Security Act to give disabled and elderly people access to support services at home instead of in institutions.

Under current Medicaid policy, disabled or elderly people who require assistance with daily activities are entitled to such services only if they reside in nursing homes.

The average annual cost of a nursing-home stay in Pennsylvania is more than $67,000, and 67 percent of nursing homes in the state are funded by Medicaid.

Why can't patients live in their communities with the same funds?

Advocates have long been asking Congress to allow people at risk of being admitted to nursing homes to have the option of staying in their own homes with Medicaid dollars. Not only do the vast majority of people prefer living at home; it's also cheaper. Often, two people can be served in the community for the price of putting one person in a nursing home.

Home care can also create more jobs. And it allows people to remain productive members of their communities.

So why hasn't this legislation been approved? The chief barrier is the influential nursing-home industry, which has been entrenched in American society for more than four decades.

It's time for America to think differently about long-term care, and the Community Choice Act is a critical first step. The legislation provides a socially and fiscally responsible alternative that will enable many people with infirmities or disabilities to maintain their independence.

With the high cost of health care and the prospect of increasing numbers of baby boomers needing such services, funding community-based services seems even more prudent.

The legislation is expected to be reintroduced this spring. All but four members of Pennsylvania's congressional delegation, including both of its U.S. senators, have signed on in the past.

Given that Pennsylvania ranks 13th among the states in nursing-home population and third in state spending on nursing homes, the commonwealth stands to reap extraordinary benefits from this legislation. It should be leading the charge. Where are our champions?