I am a daughter struggling to keep my elderly, invalid mother out of a nursing home and in the security of her own home while sticking to a moderate budget. I would love to see community programs that would help with that goal. I HAVE managed to get community help from the Agency on Aging and the Veteran's Administration. However, I WOULD LIKE TO HAVE THE FLORIDA MEDICAID PROGRAM DEMYSTIFED. It is like a maze that you are forced to learn as you go. Many elderly, such as my mother, worked hard all their lives only to suffer a disabling accident. It doesn't take long to lose all their assets when they need 24 hour care. It is difficult to ask for help and even harder to learn the ropes when so little information is available locally. Would it be such a bad thing if Medicaid handed out brochures that explain their various programs? Also, since I hire and train personal caregivers for my mother, I spend alot of time doing criminal background checks etc. I WOULD LOVE TO SEE AN ESTABLISHED LIST OF LOCAL CAREGIVERS THAT HAVE ALREADY HAD CRIMINAL AND DRIVER LICENSE CHECKS. IT WOULD BE A GREAT PLACE TO SHOWCASE THEIR EXPERIENCE AND JOB PREFERENCES. That would be good for both the workers looking for a job and for the elderly or disabled person needing their services. Just a couple of thoughts from a daughter who has been in "the trenches" for the last four years since my mother's severe stroke.
