Helping Oregonians with Disabilities Live in Their Own Homes
When people with physical disabilities or older Oregonians live in their own homes, they enjoy greater independence and self-determination. Thousands of Oregonians wish to live independently, but need help with daily care needs, such as bathing, eating, mobility, and dressing. Appropriate reasonable accommodations and modifications in housing also support Oregonians who wish to live independently.
In 2017, Aging and People with Disabilities (APD) announced a number of changes that would end a service option for live-in caregivers, reduce the number of care hours available to some people, and make it more difficult for some individuals to qualify for services.
We worked with Legal Aid Services of Oregon and Oregon Law Center to address concerns with how these changes impacted the individuals who use these vital services and supports. We reached a final settlement agreement with APD in 2018.
Two critical areas in the agreement are:
Improving the notices that consumers receive when their services are reduced, terminated, or denied;
Enacting new administrative rules that will improve the transparency and fairness of the process for getting exceptional in-home hours that exceed regular maximums.
