A reason to worry
Medicare cuts
Dear You,
Usually I tell you not to worry but right now there is every reason to. Medicare cuts are decimating the supports you and your loved one need to survive. Everything is impacted, from respite care to equipment to basic health care. Care homes that depend on Medicare are watching their budgets cut below sustainable. Everyone is scared, including me.
Yes, the fear is real, but what we do with that fear matters. We can let it overwhelm us until we feel helpless or we can channel it into action. What that action looks like depends entirely on you and your energy. You don’t have to wave a sign at a protest or march to the beat of angry voices. After all, we both know it’s hard to leave the house when you’re a caregiver. But you can do something.
Make a list of people in power who need to hear why supports for people with disabilities matter. Your congressperson, your local representative, your city council people, your mayor… everyone who has been elected to represent you, should be on that list. After that, make one phone call a day to someone on the list. When you’ve called everyone, start over. Imagine if every caregiver in the United States made just one phone call a day. What a voice that would be!
Here is a website that can help you find your representatives as well as government decisions that may impact you.
Ballotpedia a non-partisan encyclopedia of American politics.
Stay informed. You need to know what specifically is being cut and how that will impact your loved one. Gather as much information as you can by talking to people in your community. Doctors, therapists, social workers, your neighbors and other caregivers can give you local information. Do not rely only on the internet for this research! The internet is filled with rumors and partial information created to cause anxiety so you’ll click a link. There are reliable sources online but you need to do some research to find out how their information impacts your loved one locally. Here are three of my favorite, reliable websites:
Disability Scoop. the “Premier Source for Developmental Disability News.”
Disability Rights California. Focused on California but their information covers the nation.
AARP. American Association of Retired People. Excellent advocacy resource!
Write letters to the representatives on your list. Also, write letters to your family and friends. You could even host a postcard writing party. During election years, people gather in cafe’s and homes to write letters encouraging others to vote for a specific candidate. Why not encourage people to support services for caregivers and the disabled? All you need are pens, postcards, addresses and some good friends. Maybe snacks, too.
I am terrified for my daughter right now and furious about how her needs are considered unimportant. I feel helpless to do anything, but I won’t let that feeling stop me from fighting for her. I suspect you feel the same. The powers that be want us to feel that way. They want us to be quiet. Don’t do what they want. Fighting in small ways is just as effective as loudly marching in a protest.
In the words of Ariel Gore, “Your heart is about the size of your fist. Keep fighting. Keep loving.”
In solidarity,
Terena