Despite claims that proposed state budget cuts to programs that provide in-home care to disabled senior citizens will not affect those with the highest level of need, a new analysis by the UCLA Center for Health Policy Research finds that even severely disabled seniors will experience a total loss of services. The significant cuts, or elimination, of IHSS, ADHC, SSI, Medi-Cal, and CAPI are likely to leave tens of thousands of substantially impaired older Californians without the help they need to continue living safely at home, according to data from counties around the state.

While increased institutionalization might result, there are not enough empty Medi-Cal certified nursing facility beds available in the state to accommodate more than 5% of those losing services. The state needs to focus on the goals of long-term care – maintaining independence – and work with a unified budget that includes all services to maximize the effectiveness and efficiency of state-funded programs.

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