Why ADAPT ? - Steve Gold writes of Laguna Honda NH in SF

[Traveling_Home]

What A Scandal - On So Many Levels! #208 (5/07)

We try, truly, not to rant and rage or be too cynical or too
offensive, at least not too often. However, the Wall Street Journal
article on 5/7/07 "Battle on Home Front," just pointed out too many
outrageous issues at the same time. article: WSJ.com - Battle on Home Front . All quotes below are from the
article.]

A little background: Laguna Honda is a public nursing home in San
Francisco which has 1,067 beds owned by the City. It is a decrepit place
with wards up to 28 beds. As a result of a recent lawsuit, all residents
were assessed. Surprise, surprise. 70% of the residents could reside in
the community with appropriate services. The City's response? Build a
new, bigger institution with up to 1,200 beds.

The buttons that pushed me over include:

1. "Prominent politicians such as Sen Dianne Feinstein and House Speaker
Nancy Pelosi are on board for the new buildings, despite the opposition of
the AARP and local groups for the disabled. Both have receive near the
maximum campaign contributions from the SEIU International Union] since ... 1989. Representatives of Sen. Feinstein
and Re. Pelosi said that contributions were irrelevant to their support
and the new facility's medical services are needed."

Sure! Anyone want to buy a bridge for one dollar. Do they think
we're really that dumb or naive? Will they give back the contributions
they received since 1989, so then we might believe them? Do they know
that 70% of Laguna Honda residents can reside in the community with
appropriate community services, so that a new facility is NOT needed for
them?

SEIU - you've told us you wanted a positive relationship with the
disability community? We want your members to be adequately paid and
employed. We want your membership to grow. But what about the civil
rights of persons with disabilities? We respect workers' rights; how
about you reciprocating and respecting the ADA and the Olmstead decision?

2. Sen. Feinstein said "sure it would be nice if you reinvent the wheel."

"Reinvent" what? Doesn't she know about attendant and personal care
services in the community? About MA's waiver services? Where is Ed when
we need him in California to explain to her that he lived in the
community. To explain to her thatfor each person with any condition or
diagnosis in Laguna Honda, there are people throughout the country, and
yes even in California, in the community with the same condition and
diagnosis. Nothing needs to be invented, let alone reinvented.

3. "San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom, who has received virtually no SEIU
money, voted against a bond issue for the new building, but says he found
that position 'politically very damaging'." He says "he continues to
face intense pressure to build and fund the full nursing home as planned."

If the Mayor, whose city owns the nursing home, does not want a new
building, why doesn't he just say "no." Oh right, too politically
damaging. But from whom? Doesn't he sound like the mayors in the 50s who
said they really wanted to integrate racially their schools, but there was
too much pressure. Aren't the civil rights of people with disabilities
worth taking political pressure or worth fighting for?

Does the mayor know that under Title II of the ADA, his "public
entity" must provide services "in the most integrated setting," i.e., the
community. Is he ready to provide community services to the 70% of the
current residents who could live in the community with appropriate
services?

4. The federal MA funding agency, CMS, is a critical part of the effort
to build a Laguna Honda. Because Laguna Honda has only 20 beds 1067] that are licensed as a hospital, this "almost doubles its Medicaid
reimbursements for ALL of its patients to $338 a day."

Let's get this straight. If a nursing home has less than 2% of its
total beds licensed as "hospital beds," then CMS reimburses all 100% of
the beds as hospital beds. Hmm. Great, great scam! Yo CMS, is this the
same for all nursing homes?

5. Added to the CMS's MA reimbursement, the city - Mayor Newsom - pays an
additional $93 dollars a day per person, for "an average $431 per patient
per day in total government reimbursement - compared to an average of
about $171 that nursing homes in the area typically receive."

Mr. Mayor, are you sure you do not receive any SEIU funds? Take a
page from fellow-Democrat New York Governor Eliot Spitzer, who "labeled
the SEIU" guardians of the status quo' as he waged a bruising battle
earlier this year..., arguing that the health system is too centered on
hospitals and nursing homes."

CMS - let us understand correctly, $171 a day for other nursing homes
in the SF/California area and $431 for Laguna Honda.

6. Ok, $93 a day of San Francisco city funds for 1067 persons equals
$99,231 a day or $36 million a year to Laguna Honda.

Does San Francisco provide $36 million a year for community-based
services? If not, what about the ADA? Olmstead? "Most integrated
setting?"

7. Folks, $431 a day for a year is $157,315. We understand that
California is one of the lucky states that has been awarded a CMS Money
Follows the Person grant. Just think what community services could be
purchased with $157,315 a year.

We are correct, aren't we, that the total $157,315 a year will follow
the person into the community?

8. $431 per patient a day, you say, is still too low; $157,315 a year is
not enough. OK. "The new Laguna Honda nursing home would collect closer
to $500 a day per patient, partly thanks to added payments by Medicaid and
the city to defray costs related to the rebuilding."

We're too flabbergasted to ask CMS "how could you?" Are you at all
embarrassed?

9. The real reason the Mayor, the State, SEIU, the elected officials, and
presumably CMS support the building of a new Laguna Honda, ready with the
trumpets, is that it will have a "large petting zoo, aviary, gardens,
orchard, meadow, two therapeutic swimming pools."

That is true! We're not kidding. Just like a fancy condo or the
Hilton. Will it be fenced off, too? Free parking for the residents or
valet parking for the residents and guests. How about a three star
restaurant and a Starbucks?

10. Yes, we're stuck on $157,315 a year. The "average Medicaid costs for
home care may be almost a third LESS than for nursing homes -$34,400
versus $46,612 per year - even when factors for rent and food at home are
counted in...." But that's the average nursing home costs for nursing
homes other than Laguna Honda. For us, it's $34,400 versus $157,315!
That makes Laguna Honda 3 times MORE expensive than living in the
community.

11. "The Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services agrees home care
generally is better for patients and more economical."

CMS - talk is cheap; stop the chatter. Tell California, the Mayor and
Laguna Honda that for the 70% assessed persons in Laguna Honda who can be
served in the community with appropriate community based services, they
must be offered appropriate community based services.

Steve Gold, The Disability Odyssey continues

Back issues of other Information Bulletins are available online at
http://www.stevegoldada.com
with a searchable Archive at this site divided into different subjects.
To contact Steve Gold directly, write to [e-mail]
or call 215-627-7100.

--
Steve Gold, The Disability Odyssey continues

Back issues of other Information Bulletins are available online at
http://www.stevegoldada.com

TO UNSUBSCRIBE FROM THE LIST:
To Unsubscribe from this mailing list, send a message to
[e-mail]
and in the body of the message include ONLY:
unsubscribe stevegoldada

[friendly_iconoclast]

1. SEIU is sabotaging Olmstead and IL, and has some explaining to do

So do Feinstein and Pelosi, for that matter

SEIU has a member on the Massachusetts State IL Council:

http://www.masilc.org/docs/membership.html

Becca Gutman, SEIU 1199

I get to the meetings on a regular basis, and am definitely going to bring this up w/her. PWD's don't need fake friends. Health care workers need a living wage
and benefits, but not at the price of incarcerating citizens with disabilities.

[Traveling_Home]

2. Thanks!!!

Here's Texas ADAPT (Headquarters more or less)

ADAPT of Texas
1339 Lamar SQ DR #101
Austin, TX 78704
512/442-0252.

Call there and ask to talk to Bob or Stephanie about Laguna Honda - they'll have the latest sources.

Tell them you read about it on DU and are in SEIU and get DU some publicity about our discussion forum!!

You can tell them I sent ya if ya want.

Tom in Denver

[friendly_iconoclast]

3. Sorry, meant to say...

I get to MASILC meetings on a regular basis. I am not an SEIU member.

I mentioned our state IL council because I know several members who have done ADAPT actions and while not strictly within their remit, they can have a word w/Becca and make it clear that SEIU's support of Laguna Honda is not appreciated. Especially since local ILC's and activists gave a lot of support to SEIU organizational efforts here in New England.

Having said that, I would add that Becca Gutman has been fair and honorable in her dealings w/ the local community and no one should hold her personally responsible for what undoubtedly has been approved at a national level at SEIU.

ADAPT needs to give Nancy Pelosi the same treatment they gave Newt Gingrich (I was
there with ADAPT for that one!). Election schmelection, wrong is wrong Dem or Republican.