Part of the Oklahoma Department of Human Services’ strategy for dealing with a $33 million budget cut may be freezing assistance for in-home care.
The ADvantage Waiver Program helps low-income elderly and disabled adults pay for simple care.
"There's about 300 individuals — frail Oklahoma elderly — that go on the program every month, and that means those 300 will not get service and, likely, go to a nursing facility at three times the cost," said Steve Goforth, president of home care provider Oxford HealthCare.
Because the program helps people who qualify for Medicaid, the state would likely end up picking up the tab for nursing home care.
Home care providers do things to help people stay at home rather than go to a nursing home.
"Simple things that we often take for granted until you can't do that anymore, which would include bathing in some cases; getting in and out of bed; providing a safe, clean environment to live in; making sure that there's food and the prescriptions are picked up and taken properly," Goforth said.
There are other Oklahomans an admission freeze would affect.
"We estimate 10,000 people are employed by the ADvantage Waiver Program throughout the state, and, yes, for sure, their jobs will be in jeopardy," Goforth said.
DHS has not announced how it will deal with its budget cut.
