A new study done by the UCLA Center for Health Policy Research found that thousands of seniors suffering from Alzheimer's would lose their long-term care due to budget cuts from the state of California. The most vulnerable to these cuts are seniors with disabilities and low incomes who rely on state funded Alzheimer's Centers. These seniors have few resources and not much support from family members and have no where else to turn. Starting October 1, 2009, the state of California made cuts that will affect many Alzheimer's long-term care programs. Alzheimer's day care resource centers will lose all state funding from the cuts which will affect about 3,200 seniors. Supplemental Security Income will be cut 8 to 10 percent affecting those seniors with Alzheimer's who are blind or very low income. And finally In-Home Supportive Services Program (IHSS) will cut 30 percent of services to 445,584 individual, 60% of which are elderly.
The State of California have already made devastating cuts to healthcare regarding Alzheimer's patients. Other states will probably follow suit if they haven't already. One of the main problems with these cuts, besides the obvious effects, is that Alzheimer's is a growing epidemic. Cuts should not be made to care for patients, it should be increasing.
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