Mail Tribune
November 22, 2011 2:00 AM
 |
Most people want to avoid the kind of intimate moments Phillip Patton has shared with his home-care worker. Cindy VanCamp, a 55-year-old Medford woman, has taken care of Patton for eight years under a state program, washing him, helping him go to the bathroom and insisting he get rid of old, soiled garments.
Cindy VanCamp, a home-care worker, shares a moment with Phillip Patton, who has cerebral palsy, at his apartment in Medford. VanCamp and thousands of home-care workers across the state are facing pay cuts and the loss of health coverage due to state budget reductions. Mail Tribune Photo / Jamie Lusch
"The only thing we haven't said is, 'I do,' " said Patton, a 46-year-old Medford man with cerebral palsy who has a sense of humor despite his struggles with the simple tasks that most take for granted.
While VanCamp has provided care through a state program to Patton at $10.20 an hour, she has struggled with her own health issues, including wrist and knee problems. So she was thankful that a $27,000 surgery on her collarbone was covered by her insurance.
VanCamp qualifies for health insurance through the state because she logs a minimum 80 hours of work a month. That likely will change Jan. 1, when the state will reduce the number of hours home-care workers can claim each month, meaning many will no longer qualify for health insurance.
Article: http://www.mailtribune.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20111122/NEWS/111220303/-1/NEWSLETTER100
Posts
1 comments:
The elimination of health care for these workers will be criminal if we cannot move the Governor on these cuts. As a former Case Manager who worked daily with Home Care Workers, it is an injury prone occupation. The Union has worked hard to increase the wages (although not totally sufficient) but the struggle for affordable health insurance is a moral imperative.
Post a Comment