Journal-News.com

HAMILTON — Gov. Ted Strickland is proposing more funding for the state's in-home care services program for low-income seniors that would allow more Butler County residents to live independently and to avoid unnecessary institutional care.

According to a recent report by Miami University's Scripps Gerontology Center, Ohio spends more per capita on nursing home care than 41 states in the country. At the same time, Ohio spends less than all but three states on in-home care spending as a total of long-term care spending.

Now Strickland is pushing for more money for in-home care programs as a way to reduce the state's Medicare spending since it's cheaper way to care for people. PASSPORT, the state's in-home program for low-income seniors, costs the state an average of $48 per day compared to $164 per day for nursing home care.

He also has pledged to end the waiting list for PASSPORT by June.

As of March, there were 332 residents in Butler County enrolled in the PASSPORT program, said Laurie Petrie, communications director for the Council on Aging of Southwestern Ohio.

Petrie said 173 people are on the PASSPORT waiting lists in Butler, Clermont, Clinton, Hamilton and Warren counties. She said 20 of those 173 people are from Butler County, with the bulk of those coming from Hamilton County.

Since the program began in the 1980s, PASSPORT enrollment has been limited by the state. The program has always had a waiting list, which presently stands at 1,100 on a first-come, first-served basis, she said.

Strickland has proposed in his budget that there be 5,600 new slots available statewide.

How many people in Butler County will qualify for those new slots is unclear, Petrie said.

Steve Schnabl, executive director of Senior Citizens Inc. in Hamilton, declined to say whether Strickland's proposal to increase funding for PASSPORT would be enough to meet current or future needs.

But Schnabl did say, "I'm elated to have the new governor's support for expanding PASSPORT options and I'm glad that he will be tracking the long-term need as it increases substantially for the foreseeable future."

John Stugmyer, executive director of Middletown Area Senior Citizens Inc., said he doubts the expanded in-home program would be overburdened or inappropriately used as a cost-saving measure alone.

"Those programs are case-managed by professionals and licensed social workers who look at each situation and determine what the need is," Stugmyer said. "I don't think they're just going to just pass out and fund people that are not deserving or eligible."

Admission directors at area nursing facilities support the aims of the PASSPORT program. Keeping people at home as long as possible is their goal too, they said.

"Anytime you can stay at home, that's great," said Bonnie Hembree, admissions director at the Butler County Care Facility. "PASSPORT has helped tremendously. Anything to keep people in their home longer is a help. There is no place like home."

Hembree said the focus of the Hamilton facility's short term care is preparing people to return home. Physical therapy helps with restoring range of motion skills. Occupational therapy is geared to train people be safe in their homes such as when cooking.

Linda Alfrey of Willow Knolls in Middletown said a successful program enables people to return home.

"That means we have done our job right. We all work together to get them home," said Alfrey.

The in-home services available, such as assistance with cooking and cleaning, funded by PASSPORT are making that possible. It made a difference in the life of Alfrey's mother Frances Thornton.

"With PASSPORT she stayed in her home for two years. She could do things herself. It was perfect, a good experience," she said.

Contact this reporter at (513) 820-2190 or dewilson@coxohio.com.