April 03, 2008
Thursday

This is an interesting topic and one that I have some experience with. My mom is 95 -- nearly deaf and blind and unable to walk very far or on her own. She has a Medicaid waver and since she signed up with Community Connections she is getting her respite care through them. It is important to understand that a "not for profit" organization is simply a tax status -- it does not mean that they are not billing for everything they do, billing highly and making a profit.

My mother is entitled (due to her age and condition) to workers to help her bathe and to drive her to the various stores and assist her with her purchases. Community Connections bills and is reimbursed for supposedly providing these services. Someone should ask Mama how she feels about their quality of care---CURRENTLY SHE HAS NOT HAD A HELPER IN 3 WEEKS. In the past they haven't done background checks on who they hire (as they say they supposedly do) and they sent her a woman with a criminal history, who stole her credit cards and went on a spending hey-day at WalMart as well as a number of other problematic characters who made her life more difficult-not easier. At age 95 she just can't keep up with these things. It upsets her past the point of tears every time this stuff happens.

Am I impressed? Not especially I am glad someone found a job with them in Metlakatla. However, that is not really my concern. I think QUALITY of service should be evaluated, not just whether it's the only joint in town that is hiring..

Eileen Small
Ketchikan, AK

Received April 02, 2008 - Published April 03, 2008

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