Heather’s son Matthew is 13 years old and living with severe autism and epilepsy, which is currently in remission. Heather has been providing care for Matthew since he was a baby.
In addition to the routine care a mother provides, making sure Matthew is fed and bathed, she provides complex care such as medication and seizure management. Heather’s husband is a fulltime teacher, and he has just finished his master’s degree. Given his busy schedule, she provides caregiving largely on her own.
Though Heather has a part-time job, there have not been many shifts available lately, leading to a gap in their finances. Through Georgia Medicaid, Heather applied for and receives a stipend to provide care to Matthew. This stipend has been a huge help financially during these difficult times, allowing them to adequately manage their finances and credit card debt.
Through their Medicaid home and community-based waiver, Matthew is eligible for supportive nursing care. However, they have been unable to find anyone local to help them. Heather is eagerly awaiting an available nurse to help provide care for Mathew as she has recently been diagnosed with and become disabled due to fibromyalgia. A helping hand will ease her stress and discomfort.
Without the support of Medicaid, Heather would not be able to care for Matthew in the way a loving mother would want to. Medicaid coverage of medications and supportive services are a critical lifeline to their family. Heather worries that Medicaid cuts would lead to financial devastation for the family, and in a worst-case scenario, Matthew would need to go to an institution.
“I have an accounting degree, but I really haven’t used it because I’ve been caring for my son. I’ve only been able to take on a part-time job. If we didn’t have Medicaid, we would definitely be living from paycheck to paycheck.”