When Anita’s mother’s health started to decline, Anita retired early to provide her with personalized care. Anita’s mom is blind, has dementia, and is battling three types of cancer in different stages. Melanoma on the bottom of her foot has caused mobility issues and has made it hard for her to walk.
Anita used to use respite services provided through her state Medicaid program that gave her time to go grocery shopping and complete other tasks while knowing her mom was being cared for. This year, Anita no longer has access to respite, and without this service, she has double dipped into her savings to obtain respite for herself.
Anita wants to return to work one day. She knows she is too young to retire. However, she cannot sustain caring for her mother without any financial support. In late 2024, Anita applied to receive a stipend as her mother’s caregiver through the Georgia Home and Community Based Services (HCBS) waiver program. More than seven months later, she is still awaiting approval. The financial burden of caregiving is tremendous, and Antia is currently living off her savings. As the costs of caring for her mother continue to rise, this stipend would help offset those increases.
Anita asks policymakers to put themselves in a position to understand the needs of struggling caregivers and care recipients. Make an informed decision based on facts, not an impromptu decision based on hearsay. If they were able to do that, they would see why Medicaid cuts are so harmful.
