Disability Activists protest Senate in support of Advanced Home Health Aides

June 10, 2015 (Albany, NY) – Disability Activists descended upon the Capitol this morning to urge the Senate to pass legislation that will help thousands of people with disabilities and seniors to live in their own homes. The legislation will allow a supervising nurse to assign health related tasks to trained workers, Advanced Home Health Aides (AHHAs) working in the homes of disabled people and seniors. The absence of this service unnecessarily forces people into nursing facilities, at great expense to the State and in violation of their civil rights.

Despite introducing language last year in its one-house bill, the Senate has not acted to create Advanced Home Health Aides (AHHAs). Until yesterday, the Senate had not even introduced a bill, despite widespread support for AHHAs among stakeholders including the Disability Community, AARP, the New York State Nurses Association, home care providers, health care plans, and other organizations. SB 5855, introduced yesterday by Senator Kevin Parker, mirrors language that passed the Assembly last month.

At issue is allowing nurses to assign certain health-related tasks to AHHA so that people with disabilities and older adults can live in their own homes. Despite widespread support, the proposal has faced strong resistance from Senator Kenneth LaValle, who chairs the committee through which the proposal must pass.

Last week, disability advocates brought to LaValle’s attention the stories of five people in LaValle’s district who remain trapped in nursing facilities for want of assistance with these tasks. The stories put a human face on the issue: people driven from their houses; people afraid they will never again see their family; lives torn apart because a trained, supervised Advanced Home Health Aide is not there to help them take a pill in their home. Senator LaValle was unmoved by these stories.

Legislation to create AHHAs has passed the New York State Assembly, and Governor Cuomo supports the creation of the program. A broad coalition of organizations has urged the Senate to negotiate the creation of the program this year.

“The average nursing facility stay for an older adult is six months,” said Prizio. “If we don’t pass the bill this session, people who were forced into a facility today will be dead before we can act next year.”

Contact:
Adam Prizio: 603-867-4910
Stephanie Woodward: 585-546-7510