For the last several years, Tennessee has ranked last in the country for its meager funding of home-based care for the elderly. (Today/yesterday) one group began its push to help the state jump to at least 49th, which would still mean spending more than four times the current level.
While more than 1.2-billion dollars goes to long-term care each year through the state’s Medicaid waiver program – TennCare – roughly 1-percent of that goes to in-home providers. The rest goes to nursing homes.
Pastor Sherman Tribble of New Visions Baptist Church says it’s a case of the squeaky wheel getting the grease.
“I’ve been in nursing homes and see that the help is needed, however, I’ve also been in a number of single family homes where people are trying not only to honor their family members but to maximize public and private dollars in a way that makes some sense.”
Sherman is a member of Tying Nashville Together, a faith-based advocacy group calling attention to elderly home care needs at the state and local level.
He estimates 6-thousand poor and elderly Nashvillians qualify for weekly in-home visits from Metro Social Services. The waiting list is a year long and still less than 400 are enrolled.
Tying Nashville Together says moving state dollars to in-home care could save 300-million dollars each year. The group will hold a public hearing with lobbyists, legislators and long-term care providers at the West End Methodist Church March 29th.
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