Proposal will not benefit state’s home health care consumers

A recent newspaper article stated that 96 percent of Garden State AARP members prefer long-term care services to be provided in their homes or at a residential care setting.

Fortunately, New Jersey has over 300 home care agencies that have worked hard to make New Jersey’s home care among the best in the nation.

Unfortunately, there is a bill (A3778/S-2662) pending that targets home health aides and will make home care another state bureaucracy. This bill will set-up four state councils to run home care. Aides will be forced to work for a council. When someone needs an aide, they will be given a list and will have to find their own aide.

Right now, calling and screening aides, matching them with patients and providing nursing supervision is one of the many jobs done by home care agencies, but the sponsors of this bill want the consumer to do it. They call this self-directed care. They say it gives the consumer more choices.

We say it’s a lot of work for the consumer, many of whom are ill, disabled, unstable and unable to direct their own care. Aides will have no choice but to wait for their phone to ring for find work.

Unfortunately, this bill is called the "Quality" Home Care Act. Because it uses the word "quality" a lot of good people are being fooled into thinking it’s a good bill. It’s not. We all want quality home care. That’s why our agencies, aides and regulators have worked so hard to make New Jersey’s home care among the best in the nation.

New Jersey already has quality home care. We don’t need a bad law to "fix" it. We don’t need another state bureaucracy. We don’t need a law that will fool 96 percent of the people in New Jersey who are counting on receiving quality care in their homes. Please reach out to your legislators today and voice your opposition to this bill.

Donna M. Palmer

Director

Bayada Nurses

Freehold