Palm Beach County healthcare agency sees new demand for different type of home care

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By: Sabirah Rayford

BOCA RATON, Fla. — A Palm Beach County healthcare agency is seeing a new demand for a different type of home care: professional companions.

Henry and September are great pals.

“She’s got a very nice nature,” Henry said.

The 95-year-old Holocaust survivor says they have a lot in common.

“Jeopardy and Wheel of Fortune,” Henry said.

September is a professional companion.

“Companion care are services provided to seniors who are semi-independent, but they may need someone to be like a buddy or an assistant to them,” Marissa Gordon said.

Gordon is an administrator at JFS at Home, a licensed private duty home health agency serving Palm Beach County.

“We always knew there was a tremendous need for this, but families were reaching out to us expressing the need for someone to get their eyes on their loved one because they were unable to travel,” she said.

With 160 clients, she says seniors in isolation also increased the demand for companions.

"Increased loneliness and depression,” Gordon said. “I think that the pandemic opened the door a little wider for senior to accept help.”

Creating new bonds in a new world.

“We know each other, basically like we are best friends,” September said.

If you'd like to apply to be a professional companion, visit ralesjfs.org/

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Palm Beach County healthcare agency sees new demand for different type of home care

From The Silver Standard’s Elder Abuse Reform Now Project: An Alternative to Nursing Home Care

By Mary West

Nursing Home Alternatives to Consider 

As people age and require more care, they start contemplating a move to an assisted living facility or nursing home. Places that offer assisted living are often pleasant abodes, but they are pricey, with most costing around $3,000 per month. The nursing home option can be undesirable, as low staffing sometimes results in neglect and abuse of residents.

Are any other alternatives available? The answer is a resounding yes. Below are some wonderful choices to consider that provide a higher quality of life than what is found in most facilities.

Village Network

The village concept permits seniors to live at home longer than would otherwise be feasible. It started in 1999 with the founding of Beacon Hill Village, a network of elderly residents in a Boston neighborhood. Since that time, more than 150 villages have been formed around the world, and more than 100 are in development, reports The Atlantic.

Villages have several benefits. Members vet service providers such as home care workers, drivers, and plumbers, so everyone has access to a list of trustworthy people they can call should any need arise. Seniors belonging to the village also go to museums together and socialize. Staff or volunteers serve in many ways, such as taking members to the doctor or grocery store.

The cost of belonging to the networks varies. While the Beacon Hill Village members have a yearly fee of $675, which pays for full-time staff, other villages are operated by volunteers and have much lower fees or no fees at all.

Do villages have drawbacks? One concern is the safety issue associated with being alone 24/7. A senior could fall, and some time could elapse before the person is found. However, this problem should be weighed against the alternative of spending years in a dreary but safe existence.

Staying at Home (Non-Village)

Because the village network concept is relatively new, many seniors may not live in an area where they have access to one. Nonetheless, making modifications in the home and arranging for an array of services may enable the elderly to stay out of a long-term care facility longer, according to U.S. News & World Report. Although this choice doesn’t come with the social benefits of villages, it gives seniors the profound comfort and pleasure of more years in their own home.

Home modifications can significantly promote independent living. These changes would include building an outdoor ramp and widening doorways to permit easy maneuverability of a walker or wheelchair. The bathroom is a critical area, but installing a floor-level shower and grab bars as well as using a raised toilet seat and shower bench can make a big difference. Removing area rugs and other potential obstacles can reduce the risk of falling.

When seniors are no longer able to cook, various organizations can help. Meals on Wheels delivers frozen meals that accommodate special dietary restrictions. This need may also be met by churches or senior homes that offer meals in a community dining setting.

A geriatric care manager can assist seniors in finding local resources for other services. When housekeeping becomes difficult, a cleaning crew can be hired to come every other week. If vision and health problems make driving unsafe, groceries can be ordered online and delivered; Mobile Markets is a grocery delivery service for seniors. Some communities have volunteers that provide rides to doctors’ appointments and other places.

Hiring a Caregiver

Some seniors need more than modifications and services to be able to stay in their home. If they have the income to cover the expense, they can have a caregiver 24/7. If this isn’t necessary, they can hire a caregiver for four to six hours per day for an average cost of $21 per hour. A home health agency nurse could also visit daily to check on vital signs and medications.

Moving in with Children

One in six American households is multigenerational, reports Safewise. Moving in with children presents the advantage of maximal personal involvement, but it can pose challenges when everyone is accustomed to having their own space. Some homes have an attic, basement, or area over the garage that can be transformed into separate living quarters for a senior. Another option is to purchase a MEDCottage or “Granny pod,” which is a freestanding unit with all the amenities of home that can be installed on the property.

If a senior is alone at home all day, an adult daycare center could be of value. The staff monitors medications and provides crafts, games, and other amusements. On average, these centers cost $76 per day.

Joining a Retirement Community

Moving to a home or apartment in an age-restricted community can come with several perks such as meals, transportation, cleaning, and on-call medical care. This is a choice to consider for seniors who are relatively independent and only need the availability of services.

Adult Foster Care

Regulated by states and counties, adult foster care is less expensive than assisted living and nursing home facilities, with nationwide costs ranging from $1,500 to $3,500 per month, reports Paying for Senior Care. In this scenario, one to three seniors are cared for in a home. They receive personal care, meals, and supervision, along with assistance with toileting, bathing, and medications.

Group Living

Group living was discussed in more detail previously in the Silver Standard News. It involves several friends moving in together, which is similar to the village network but on a smaller scale. This concept offers an economic advantage because the friends can share expenses. It also means the seniors always have someone with whom to share activities and engage in conversation. In addition, group living affords safety because the friends can get help if a senior falls or needs medical attention.

A one-size-fits-all choice doesn’t exist, as preferences and needs will vary. Notwithstanding, the elderly can take heart that a move to a facility isn’t necessarily an inevitability. In many cases, they may select among alternatives that permit them either to stay in their own home or to move to a family member’s or friend’s home. All of the options have multiple positives.

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From The Silver Standard’s Elder Abuse Reform Now Project: An Alternative to Nursing Home Care

JOIN The EARN Project

 

Elder registry expansion targets in-home nurses to weed out abuse

Georgia is expanding its nurse aide registry, which catalogues incidents of abuse and neglect of elderly patients, to include home health care providers.

“This is the first step in our efforts to provide information on abusers to providers and families hiring caregivers,” Kathy Floyd, executive director of the Georgia Council on Aging, said. “This registry is a critical step in providing a safe living environment for elderly and disabled Georgians receiving long-term care services.”

The state currently maintains a registry of certified nursing assistants who have completed training.

Hospitals and nursing homes are required to check the registry to see if a nurse’s license is current, and can review findings of abuse, neglect, exploitation or misappropriation of property.

There are 73,000 active CNAs and 210,000 inactive CNAs on the registry, with 1,350 adverse findings logged.

According to the Georgia Department of Community Health, “Elder abuse is an underrecognized, undetected and underreported problem with devastating and life-threatening consequences.”

Calvin Mangum, who regularly enjoys a hot meal and round of pool at the Senior Life Center in Gainesville, said the expanded registry is important for vulnerable patients.

Though he has never experienced any abuse, Mangum recalled a friend who once was neglected by in-home caregivers.

“The family should have been there,” he said.

The latest law expands the registry’s scope to include “adverse findings” on CNAs who work in home settings.

“As more individuals desire to remain at home ... it makes sense to track CNAs in all the situations where they provide care,” Floyd said.

Patricia Cunningham agreed. She worked as a nurse in hospitals and nursing homes before retiring into the leisure and friendship available at the Senior Life Center.

“More people want to stay in their home,” she said, adding that this makes the expanded registry all the more necessary.

Cunningham said she has never witnessed elder abuse, but believes the expanded registry will provide better screening of caregivers.

“It can happen anywhere,” she said about abuse.

Daniel Johnson, sitting next to Cunningham at the senior center on a recent afternoon, said one caveat that should be considered is that caregivers might be falsely accused. Sometimes patients and their nurses have personality conflicts, and people can interpret the same events differently, he added.

Moreover, Johnson said he is thankful for the good in-home care his mother received. Her nurse became like family.

“It should come with some restrictions,” he said of the registry. “Good people are hard to find. ”

Floyd said her organization, created by the Georgia General Assembly in 1977 to advise the governor, assembly and state agencies on programs for Georgia’s seniors, wants to grow the registry to include a broader range of caregivers who are not CNAs.

“We will work (with lawmakers) to design legislation to bring to the 2017 session,” she said.

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Elder registry expansion targets in-home nurses to weed out abuse

Man fights to keep 104-year-old woman living at her home: 'It's her last wish'

Evan LaPointe with Audrey Roberts

For nearly all his life, Evan LaPointe has considered Audrey Roberts to be like a grandmother. So when the 104-year-old woman outlived all her retirement savings, he jumped at the chance to help.

"The way I see it, she used to watch over me and take care of me, and now it's my turn to do that for her," LaPointe, of Bowling Green, Kentucky, told TODAY.

He met Roberts when he was only 3 years old, through a foster grandparents program, where Roberts was a volunteer. 

"Whenever my parents wanted to get out or go out of town, I'd hang out with Audrey, and she would take care of me," LaPointe, 21, said. "She's like a grandma to me. So it's just like going over to grandma's house, going over there."

Now Roberts, who also outlived her husband and only child, is part of the family. LaPointe and his mother live about 10 minutes away and visit Roberts all the time, including every other Friday, to take her to a hair appointment.

"We used to have her over for Christmas and Thanksgiving, when she could get around better," LaPointe said. "But we still load up a plate for her and bring it over."

But now Roberts faces a dilemma — she's outlived all her savings.

"Throughout her life, she worked minimum wage jobs and saved almost $200,000," LaPointe said. "That was her life savings. But she'll be 105 this year. She's running out of money."

Part of the problem is that LaPointe wants to stay home instead of relocating to a nursing home, and while she can get around on her own using a walker, she has severe arthritis and still requires 24-hour care.

"And the caretakers are awesome," LaPointe said. "They even called last week and took a pay cut, so they're doing what they can to help. Everybody is. But 24-hour care... It adds up."

He launched a GoFundMe page to help raise funds to keep Roberts in her house, which she bought decades ago for $5,000.

"She takes pride in that house," he said.

LaPointe, who works at his family's print shop and also as a photographer, said Roberts is one of his favorite subjects.

"I love taking photos of her," he said. "She's 104 but she looks better than a lot of people in their 70s or 80s! She's an incredible woman."

Roberts told TODAY she's touched by LaPointe's efforts: "I think it's wonderful," she said.

"He's like my grandson," Roberts added. "He's always been with me. He's a great guy."

Roberts' doctor also testifies that she does better at home.   (Continue Reading)

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Man fights to keep 104-year-old woman living at her home: 'It's her last wish'

Learning the Unfamiliar Language of Home Care

Jeffrey Interiano & Gayle Snyder

GIVEN the tens of millions of people in retirement or about to enter it, it’s surprising how few plan for something most of them will eventually need: help doing basic tasks at home. But perhaps it is not so surprising: It’s like learning a difficult new language late in life.

Only about 1 percent of those aged 65 to 74 live in nursing homes, the Census Bureau reports. Most retirees continue to live at home as they age, even though many do not have relatives nearby to assist them as it becomes harder to handle daily activities because of declining health, mobility or cognitive difficulties.

Of those who need the help most, many won’t admit they need it or obtain assistance willingly on their own. They fear loss of independence and becoming a burden to their families. This is an issue I’m facing in my own family and it’s difficult to navigate.

For most older people, it is far preferable to stay at home rather than enter a nursing home. But it isn’t easy to make it work. Just ask Coleen Wagner, who lives in Saratoga, Calif., and has helped several relatives find home care. That includes, most recently, her mother-in-law, who was 85 and had dementia at the time. She has since died.  (Continue Reading)

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Learning the Unfamiliar Language of Home Care

Blind NJ Woman Left in Limbo by Cracks in Social Services

Leila Laufer is a legally blind but otherwise healthy 77-year-old who has just learned she falls between the cracks of different government programs that offer help to the disabled and the elderly.

She was recently declared too old to remain in a government program for working-age people with disabilities, but she isn’t needy enough or frail enough to qualify for many state and county programs that help pay for home aides for the elderly .

So at the moment, she is without the twice-a-week aide who used to help with essential tasks such as grocery shopping, cleaning her home in Fair Lawn or even reading the official letters denying her services. And she doesn’t know how she’ll fare without that help.

“They describe this as if I have maxed out on the services, like I’m a credit card instead of a human being,” Laufer said. “I am afraid of what’s going to happen.”

Advocates say her situation isn’t uncommon among the elderly and visually impaired when they become too old for one government system and may or may not be eligible for another — which doesn’t always meet their needs.

“The big push is to have our seniors live at home as long as possible, but then we don’t always give them the support they need to do so,” said Joseph Ruffalo, president of the National Federation of the Blind of New Jersey.

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Blind Fair Lawn Senior Left in Limbo by Cracks in Social Services

Home Health Aid Accused of Exploitation

A Minneapolis woman who provided home health care for a Rochester woman will make her first court appearance Monday after being accused of stealing jewelry and pawning it.

Danielle Marie Johnson, 30, was charged in September in Olmsted County District Court with financial exploitation of a vulnerable adult and theft, both felonies; and pawning the property of another, a misdemeanor.

The alleged victim, a quadriplegic, suffers from lung disease and mental health issues, according to court documents.

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Home Health Aid Accused of Exploitation, Theft From Rochester Woman

Woman in custody a year after arrest warrants issued for financial exploitation

BRUNSWICK COUNTY, NC (WECT) – The fifth, and final, woman accused of stealing more than $260,000 from a Leland man's checking account is finally in custody – nearly a year after arrest warrants were issued.

According to the Brunswick County Sheriff's Office, Lisa McClain, of Fair Bluff, is in custody for several charges, including financial exploitation of an elderly person, felony conspiracy, and financial card theft.

Kenneth Ray Nash told authorities in October 2011 that someone had taken over his personal checking account, according to a post on the Sheriff's Office website.

After a 10-month investigation by the fraud unit, over 1,600 bank transactions were used to identify an in-home health care worker who was assigned to work for Nash by a home health care company.
According to officials, McClain took cash, prescription pain medications and checking account information from Nash during her employment.

McClain also reportedly enlisted help from several friends in order to create a debt consolidation, or bill-pay service, using Nash's funds.

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Woman in custody a year after arrest warrants issued for financial exploitation

Newark woman gets 6 months in jail for presenting false documents to get job

TRENTON

— An Essex County woman has been sentenced to six months in jail for presenting false documents when she applied for a job as a home health aide, the state Attorney General's Office said today.

As part of the sentence, handed down Friday, Bassey Justice Woodson, 50, of Newark must also serve one year of probation and 10 days community service, the office said in a news release. She pleaded guilty in November to falsifying government documents.

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Newark woman gets 6 months in jail for presenting false documents to get job

Aging baby boomers face home health care challenge

CLEVELAND — For the past three years, Taura Tate's mornings have revolved around caring for a woman who suffers from the effects of a stroke and diabetes. She cooks her oatmeal for breakfast, helps with showers and makes sure she takes the right medicine.

Without the help of a home health aide, the woman, who's in her 70s, would be in a nursing home instead of living on her own.

But Tate has her own struggles. Until a recent promotion, her pay amounted to what she could make at McDonald's. She doesn't get health or retirement benefits and has worked at five agencies in the Cleveland area, some simultaneously, to guarantee she'll have enough clients.

"If they go into the hospital or go on vacation, you don't get paid," she said.

Demand for home health care workers is soaring as baby boomers — the 78 million Americans born between 1946 and 1964 — get older and states try to save money by moving people out of more costly nursing homes. But filling more than 1 million new home care positions over the next decade will be a challenge.

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Aging baby boomers face home health care challenge

Third worker accused in swindle of woman, 99

A third home health worker has been arrested in connection with the alleged theft of more than $400,000 from a now 99-year-old woman.

Fort Lauderdale Police Thursday said that Tashua Edwards, 34, surrendered to authorities and was charged with grand theft on a person 65 or older and exploitation of the elderly.

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Third worker accused in swindle of woman, 99

Grannycam Captures Theft

An elderly man discovered his home health aide was stealing from him when his friend set up some “granny cams” to catch her in the act.

Carmen Vera, 42, was arrested and charged with theft.

The 73-year old victim said Vera, a home health aide employed by All About Care in Brick, had worked for him since December. Since then he noticed about $900 missing from both his armoire and wallet.

A close friend set up two secret cameras around the man’s bedroom to capture, in video form, any activity occurring in there.

Police said he had about 13 minutes of footage showing Vera “... clearly stealing.”

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'Granny cams' Capture Home Health Aide Stealing From Vineland Patient

Senator Al Franken Introduces "The Home Care Consumer Bill of Rights Act"

U.S. Sen. Al Franken (D-Minn.) introduced a bill to protect Minnesota seniors who receive long-term services and supports in their homes and communities by guaranteeing them basic rights and protection from abuse and neglect.

Sen. Franken developed this legislation after hearing directly from Minnesota seniors and their advocates.

“It became very clear to me after meeting with seniors from Moorhead to Winona that remaining independent and at home is a top priority for our seniors,” said Franken. “But in order to keep our seniors in their homes we have to make sure they’re safe. This legislation would ensure that seniors who choose to receive long-term services and supports in their homes and communities have the same rights and protections from elder abuse that seniors living in nursing homes already have.”

The Home Care Consumer Bill of Rights Act would:

• Direct states to develop a Home Care Consumer Bill of Rights to protect seniors who receive services in their homes and communities;

• Establish a voluntary Home Care Ombudsman Program to support states that choose to provide ombudsman services to resolve the concerns and complaints of seniors who receive home and community-based services; and

• Develop quality standards for home and community-based services so that seniors and their families can make more informed decisions about who provides their services.

Sen. Franken plans to incorporate his bill into the Older Americans Act (OAA) when it comes up for reauthorization later this year. In an effort to prepare for the reauthorization — which Sen. Franken will play a key role in as a member of the Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee — he and his staff held listening sessions with seniors across the state, released a report on their findings, and held a Senate Special Committee on Aging Field Hearing in Maple Grove, Minnesota.

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Franken Introduces Senior Care Bill

Violated: 'Broken' System Fails Elderly Abuse Victims

Federal records show Minnesota has fallen short in its handling of complaints about abuse of elderly and vulnerable adults.

In the last year of her life, as her health faded at an Albert Lea, Minn., nursing home, Opal Sande became a target.

For months, the 89-year-old grandmother, blind and suffering from Alzheimer's disease, was tormented by workers who abused her and 14 other residents. According to court documents and state records, workers pinched nipples, rubbed crotches and got in bed with some residents to simulate sex. They also spit in some residents' mouths and covered their lips to prevent them from screaming.

Last month, a court-ordered arbitrator blamed the Good Samaritan home for failing to prevent what he called a "sordid, sad, shameful story" of abuse.

"I roll this over in my mind all the time," said Sande's daughter, Myrna Sorensen. "Why did I put her there? Why did they do that to her?"

The 2008 case is part of a broader problem across Minnesota, where 2,000 providers are entrusted to care for thousands of elderly and vulnerable adults.

In the past six years, according to records reviewed by the Star Tribune, state regulators have substantiated 273 cases of abuse and exploitation at nursing homes, assisted-living facilities and in-home care agencies.

In 381 other cases of suspected abuse and exploitation -- including 96 reports of sexual abuse -- the state was unable to prove that misconduct took place, even though regulators found some evidence of wrongdoing in almost two-thirds of those investigations, records show.

Federal officials have repeatedly faulted Minnesota for how it reviews complaints of abuse and neglect. Twice in the past four years, federal records show, state regulators did not properly investigate 40 percent of reported complaints.

"Something is broken," said Deb Holtz, the state's ombudsman for long-term care.

Holtz said there's a "general sense of frustration" among advocates for the elderly that so many cases of reported abuse go unpunished.

In nursing homes and other care settings across the state, workers have harmed residents in a multitude of ways. They yelled at them and reduced them to tears with threats of punishment. Residents were slapped and punched, sometimes hard enough to cause bruising or bleeding. Workers stole checks, credit cards and jewelry. In at least 17 cases, victims were sexually abused.

State Health Department officials said they could have been more aggressive in some cases.

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Violated: 'Broken" System Fails Elderly Abuse Victims

Home Care's Booming and so is Regulation

As the first baby boomers turn 65 this year, entrepreneurs see opportunity. The number of companies providing home health care or services such as assistance in dressing, bathing, and cooking increased by more than 50 percent in the past decade, U.S. Census Bureau data show. Now regulators are scrambling to catch up with the growing industry.

Home-care companies aren't regulated in about two dozen states, and just a handful require licenses for companies that provide nonmedical services. Today the industry faces a hodgepodge of inconsistent rules that advocates say puts vulnerable people at risk of financial exploitation or physical abuse. In states that require licensing, many operators ignore regulations because the costs of complying are high and the risk of getting caught is low, people in the industry say.

Advocates of home care say it is more compassionate and less expensive than nursing home care. More than 45,000 companies offered home health care or other aid in 2008, including 2,800 small outfits that pay franchisers for a brand name, training, and support, researcher Frandata estimates. They're targeting a $55 billion market that will surely grow as the number of Americans 65 and older increases by 79 percent in the next 20 years, to 72 million, according to Census projections.

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Home Care's Booming, and so is Regulation

The New Business of Old Age

The Times reports on the development of technologies that may help to keep aging Americans out of long-term care facilities.

Longevity-focused researchers…are betting that baby boomers, unlike generations past, will not go gentle into the good night of long-term care. In fact, a few research groups at institutions like Oregon Health & Science University, M.I.T. and Stanford, along with foundations and the private sector, are devising policies and systems for an alternate scenario: older adults living independently at home for longer periods, whether that home is a private residence or a senior community.

Devices for I’ve-fallen-and-I-can’t-get-up catastrophes, they say, represent the old business of old age. The new business of old age involves technologies and services that promote wellness, mobility, autonomy and social connectivity. These include wireless pillboxes that transmit information about patients’ medication use, as well as new financial services, like “Second Acts” from Bank of America Merrill Lynch, that help people plan for longer lives and second careers.

Together, those kinds of products and services are already a multibillion-dollar market, industry analysts say. And if such innovations prove to promote health and independence, delaying entry into long-term care, the potential savings to the health care system could be even greater.

Source:
The New Business of Old Age

Laughing About Getting Old

With the timing of a professional comedian, this diminutive "little old lady" shines a very funny light on the foibles of aging, to the delight of an audience filled with senior-care experts.



Source:
YouTube

See Also:
CaregiverStress.com

HomeInstead.com

Schwarzenegger Pushes to Keep Violent Felons Out of Home Care

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger called on state lawmakers to enact legislation that would prevent violent felons from caring for ailing residents in California home health care programs.

Schwarzenegger said in his letter to Senate and Assembly leaders that current rules that keep the department from rejecting caregiver candidates with criminal records represent a grave threat to the safety of home care recipients.

"Choosing to protect these felons over the vulnerable beneficiaries in this program is akin to releasing violent felons from prison and sending them straight into a nursing home on a work-release program," the governor wrote.

"We are allowing these people into the homes of vulnerable individuals without supervision," said John Wagner, director of the state Department of Social Services. "It is dangerous. These are serious convictions."

State and county investigators have not reported violent crime backgrounds because program rules allow felons to work as home care aides. They can only be disqualified if there's a history of specific types of child abuse, elder abuse or defrauding of public assistance programs.

Privacy laws prevent warning elderly, infirm and disabled residents that caregivers are felons.

Some 996 convicted felons have been identified as working or seeking jobs in the program since background checks started last year. Some 786 of them were removed or declared ineligible, but the rest are expected to be employed in the program, state Social Services said.

Full Article and Source:
Calif. Gov Wants New Home Health Hiring Laws

Daughter Happy to Care for 101 Year-Old Mom

They sit side-by-side on a sofa in a Wauwatosa home, the daughter who is 60, the mother who is 101.

"God's grace," the daughter says. "I do believe he's sustaining her. We're learning a lot of lessons about kindness and patience."

For nearly nine years, Dorothy "Dotty" Williams has been the principal caregiver for her mom, Margaret "Margie" Hunt Dunn.

It's a story of love and faith. And it's not all that unusual - family members and friends provide the bulk of care for older adults in America.

Last week, at Wilson Park Senior Center, Williams testified during a field hearing of the U.S. Senate Special Committee on Aging. She spoke movingly about her mom and caregiving, about the benefits of caring for someone you love so much, but also, about the emotional toll it can take.

Many in the crowd applauded. They knew, from firsthand experience, what Williams was going through.

Dunn has dementia. Two years ago, carrying her plate from the patio to the kitchen, she fell and broke her hip. Emergency surgery saved her life. She celebrated her 99th birthday in a hospital bed.

What's often lost in this society-wide tale of age and mortality is this: Caregivers need help, too; moments to shop, to take in a movie, to go for medical appointments, even to go out on a date with a spouse.

The National Family Caregiver Support Program has provided Williams with help, a small amount of money for what's known as respite care, to bring in someone else to watch a loved one for a few hours. In Milwaukee County, the program is administered through the Family Caregiver Support Network at Interfaith Older Adult Programs Inc.

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Daughter Happy to Care for Mom, 101, Despite Challenges for Both

CA: State Can't Exclude Felons From Providing In-Home Care

An Alameda County judge blocked Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger from excluding convicted felons and shoplifters from providing in-home care in a program that serves 430,000 low-income elderly and disabled Californians.

Superior Court Judge David Hunter had ruled in February that Schwarzenegger's action was illegal because state law bars workers from the program for 10 years only if they have been convicted of child abuse, elder abuse or defrauding Medi-Cal or any patient.

In-home patients, who have access to their caregivers' criminal records, can otherwise employ anyone they want, the judge said.

Schwarzenegger, acting by executive order, is seeking to bar from the program anyone ever convicted of a felony or certain misdemeanors, which include shoplifting. After appealing Hunter's ruling in May, the governor had planned to implement his restrictions.

The state's appeal automatically suspended Hunter's decision but allowed the judge to reinstate it if he concluded that the new limits on caregivers would cause irreparable harm. Hunter made that finding, saying both caregivers and their patients would suffer if the governor's rules took effect during his appeal.

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State Can't Exclude Felons From In-Home Care