Just Sayin': Proposal would hurt those needing help

The heartache of watching my little girl slip away, succumbing to a rare disease at age 7, as well as the emotional trauma of fighting alongside my son as he has battled life-threatening and extreme medical and developmental challenges, transformed me into an advocate for the most vulnerable members of our society.

While I am happy to have played a small role in the victories experienced by people with physical challenges, developmental delays and other life-limiting issues, there remains much to do.

There can be no backward steps in the life-affirming work for the voiceless people who are struggling valiantly for needed care and dignity.

That is why I am concerned by Gov. Kathy Hochul’s proposal to changes to the Medicaid-funded Consumer Directed Personal Assistance Program (CDPAP) in a way that will limit the autonomy of clients and adversely impact the care received by seniors who are homebound, people struggling with developmental delays and physical challenges, along with others who have serious life-limiting conditions.

CDPAP is an important program that enables many disabled senior citizens, children with developmental delays and people with complex medical conditions to have an active role in selecting their at-home caregivers.

Many CDPAP clients select trusted friends, family members or neighbors to provide the daily care they need at substantial savings over the costs associated with the alternative to CDPAP, which is full-time institutional care at hospitals, as well as nursing and extended care facilities.

The governor’s planned changes will adversely affect the quality-of-life experience for clients while increasing costs by transferring patients to more expensive institutional care.

I am available to help the governor and state legislators improve CDPAP instead of decimating the program, which will result in skyrocketing health care costs and cause irreparable harm to seniors who are homebound, children with developmental delays, and people with complex medical conditions.

— Melissa Miller, Atlantic Beach

The writer is a Hempstead Town Council member.

It’s helpful having a nurse or two around

Recently, my daughter and three co-workers, all operating room nurses, went out to dinner in Plainview. Little did they know that their workday was not over.

A man at the next table stood up and fell onto the floor, hitting his head and shaking. They immediately called 911 and stayed with him and his wife, who is a doctor.

The four nurses provided medical care until the ambulance arrived and, along with the emergency medical technicians, assisted lifting the man onto the gurney. The man had suffered a heart attack.

Afterward, two men at the bar clapped and said, “Nice job, girls.” The four nurses were given their check, were asked if the dishes could be cleared, paid their bill and walked out of the restaurant without even a thank you from management for helping save a customer’s life.

May 6 is the beginning of National Nurses Week. As a nurse myself, I suggest remembering to thank them, who are caring, giving and help those in need. You never know when you may need a nurse’s help in an emergency.

— Vicki Appel, Massapequa Park

Don’t believe online prices at all eateries

I recently ordered takeout from a local Italian restaurant and was shocked at the price difference from what was shown online. The total order was almost double the price.

I called another restaurant a few days later to check its prices before I ordered and found the same thing. The explanation about not updating its website to the higher, accurate prices was that “we haven’t gotten around to it.”

This is discouraging when ordering takeout.

The restaurants need to update their prices so people know how much they are really spending.

— Irene Greene, West Babylon