Dozens still protesting in front of county office building

WHEC.com

Posted at: 07/27/2010 5:12 PM | Updated at: 07/28/2010 5:32 AM

They have been protesting since 6 p.m. Monday in front of the County Office building on W. Main Street. Clients and home health aides with the Center for Disability Rights are demanding a meeting with County Executive Maggie Brooks. They want to talk about the county’s decision to end a multi-million dollar contract with C.D.R.

Even though many of the people who talked to News 10NBC said they will be out there for days, even weeks if that’s what it takes for Brooks to hear their message, Brooks says her decision is final. She says she wants to make sure their services don’t suffer during the transition.

Debbie Bonomo says she’s angry and tired from camping out overnight.

“We know how important this is and we’re not going to go away,” Bonomo said.

Ever since Monroe County ended its contract with the Center for Disability Rights, Bonomo and others have been worried about losing the aides that take care of them at home.

“I feel like my world is turned upside down,” Bonomo, who has had a personal home health aide from C.D.R. for more than four years, said.

“I get scared, you know?” Terry Lincoln said. She says she is a pregnant and also a paraplegic– which has made it difficult to find the right aides with the proper skills. She found them at C.D.R. “Oh my gosh, what am I going to do without my attendants?” she said.

“They can keep the same aide that they’re working with,” County Executive Maggie Brooks said. “That’s a very important point.”

Brooks says the health and safety of C.D.R. clients is her main concern and that the county had to end its contract with C.D.R. after finding cases of home aides neglecting people.

“They were leaving people alone in their homes for extended periods of time and then claiming Medicaid dollars, public dollars, they were getting reimbursed with public dollars,” she said.

“I don’t believe in the allegations,” Lincoln said, “and I believe if it was something that serious, that C.D.R., whom I know and trust very well, would take care of the situation.”

Brooks says protestors should put down their posters and pick up the phone so they can schedule a one-on-one meeting with a county worker to talk about transferring their services.

As for a meeting with C.D.R., Brooks said: “The county’s decision as it relates to C.D.R. is final and really a meeting is irrelevant at this point and unnecessary. We no longer have a relationship with C.D.R.”

There are five other vendors that current C.D.R. clients can go to right now. Brooks says their current home health aides can work there and continue their services as long as they pass tests like a criminal background check, physical exam, Tuberculosis screening test, and drug test.