Letter Sent to California First Lady Maria Shriver
This is actually directed for our First Lady, Ms. Maria Shriver. I know that you have been impacted by Alzheimer's Disease. My mother, passed away in August 2007 of breast cancer. At that time, I gave up my job at Univision Television in Palm Springs, to take care of my dad, who has Alzheimer's. It has been almost 21 months since then. My father, who is a Korean War Vet, does not qualify for Medical since he earns just slightly above the amount to qualify from his federal employee retirement (he worked for 35 years at the Naval Supply Center in San Diego). Anyway, since I am NOT the spouse, but rather the adult child of an Alzheimer's patient, as a full time caregiver I do not qualify for any assistance. I have utilized all of my savings, what is left is scant.
My father and I were featured on a PBS documentary about the cost of Alzheimer's. You can see that and an extended interview with me at YouTube if you enter my name (Ric Gomez) on the YouTube Search machine. In any case, Alzheimer's is reaching epidemic proportions. Since I do not qualify for Medical, I cannot place my dad into daytime day care for seniors. The cost at almost $100.00 per day is prohibitive. Medicare does not cover it, nor does his health insurance. I am running out of options. Moreover, out of money. I keep a blog about my experiences at www.thetroublewithjesus.blogspot.com --- Since you will be speaking to the Alzheimer's Association in the coming future, I do hope that you communicate to your husband the sad realities that we all face in taking care of our parents. We need help, I myself, after 21 months of this, I need a day off.
Thank you, and know that we know that you both are trying your best.
Ric
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
3 comments:
Hi Ricardo,
I'm totally appalled at your health system. I can not imagine what it would be like to have a government without a community spirit. America is not the land of milk and honey when it can not provide it's residents with basic human rights and the level of care which dementia type illnesses warrant.
I take my hat off to you for writing the letter. It's been a dreadful shame that Hilary Clinton's attempts over the years to overhaul your health system have fallen by the wayside.
Reading your post has taken the edge off my relief at gaining a respite spot for my Dad. Knowing that you and others don't have these benefits provided by your government makes me very sad and angry. It just shouldn't be this way.
Thank you for your very kind comments and welcome to my world.
I am so glad that someone else besides me has written such letters! My Dad passed January 5th, but it was a long haul (3 1/2 years) with bills I could have never imagined, and care he never received because, he too, was "not eligible". He was also a Korean War vet, and did not qualify for really anything useful even though he owned NOTHING except a $900 car I had to take away from him when he could no longer drive. His sole income was his $1225/mo. Social Security check, which means squat here in CA. Everything was private pay through us or some money he got after his Mom passed. We were beyond blessed to have that for a while. In his final days, we applied for "emergency" Medi-Cal for his Hospice care, and two months AFTER he died, I got his Medi-Cal card...that he's finally been accepted. We had already paid his bills. In the meantime, hubby has been laid off for over a year (because of Maria's husband) as a State Firefighter because "there is no money" to pay them. We are living proof of the "state" of the State of California and how "we" treat our own. I wish you my very best, I absolutely know first hand what you are feeling, and was in that "what's a day off?" daze for years. Hang in there. We are the advocates for change.
Post a Comment