Senior clients "Stand-In" at the WISE & Healthy Aging's Adult Day Service Center on Friday, June 12, 2009. More than 2,000 seniors at 27 locations from Palmdale to South Bay and from Santa Monica to Claremont staged a massive 10-minute "Senior Stand-In" at 11:30 a.m. on Friday, June 12.The show of solidarity is in peaceful protest of Governor Schwarzeneggar's proposed $14 million budget cut which would completely eliminate funding statewide for vital programs that primarily or exclusively serve older adults. In Los County, alone, this would impact thousands of seniors and caregivers. There are an estimated 882,000 seniors age 60 and above living in Los Angeles County.
The proposed budget cut comes on the heels of the Governor's eliminating last Fall the State's $6 million budget for the long-term care Ombudsman program, which provides advocacy services for residents of long-term care facilities. The proposed additional cuts on the "chopping block" would eliminate funding for such critical services as food distribution, Alzheimer's care, care management, support to working families with caregiver obligations, adult day health care, the Senior Companion program, and more.
"Eliminating aging programs will only shift millions of dollars in expenditures, as many older persons become inappropriately placed in nursing homes," said Grace Cheng Braun, president and CEO of WISE & Healthy Aging in Santa Monica, and one of the Senior Stand-In organizers. "We strongly believe that as the demographics of California begin to shift to an aging society, that it is crucial that we commit the necessary resources to helping frail older persons remain in the community and live with dignity and independence."