I am a concerned parent and caregiver and oppose the plan to shift parents who are paid caregivers away from Consumer Directed to become an employee of an agency.
These changes will adversely impact my family because: (there are no other providers in my area/ no one will work for this small hourly rate to possibly be hit, bit, pinched etc/ I cannot work outside of the home because of the intense care demands of my child such as......).
If the state wants oversight of families, put consistent criteria in place that a Service Facilitator can implement and require all Consumer Directed providers to have a Service Facilitator.
An "agency" is not an expert on my child.
Respite hours should still be available since as a caregiver, this requires time on and off the clock and is a 24-hour job. A break or respite is needed by anyone providing care for another person.
