Families of developmentally disabled Hawaiians explain how budget cuts are hurting them

From KITV in Hawaii:

HONOLULU -- The families of thousands of severely disabled people have been hit by an emergency state budget cut.

A program that keeps developmentally disabled people out of nursing homes is running out of money, and families were forced to cut 15 percent on services which they depend.

One family spoke about the crisis they it said it is facing.

"He doesn't have a ton of friends. Truthfully, most of his friends that he went to school with have passed away," said Helen Smalley-Bower, the mother of a disabled man.

At 28 years old, Josh has lived decades longer than predicted as a spina bifida survivor, largely because of dedicated adoptive parents Helen and Scott and life at home where therapy includes laughter and song.

The life was made possible by state and federal government support that pays Smalley-Bower to be Josh's full-time caregiver.

By keeping him out of a nursing home, even with sophisticated medical equipment, the arrangement saves taxpayers money.

"(It) saved them tons of money. It's either saved them tons of money or he would be dead because the care wouldn't have been proper in the first place," Smalley-Bower said.

So she said it was a shock when the state ordered the family to cut 15 percent of its payments, which meant more than a $100 a week from the family budget.

"And you know what if worse comes to worse? We go on welfare. How's that going to save the state money?" said Smalley-Bower.

In the past, the Department of Health routinely got the Legislature to cover shortfalls in the budget for the developmentally disabled, but this year the governor ruled out any emergency funding increases. The department said that means it was forced to go to the families to find the 15 percent.

The state said patients' families can appeal the 15 percent cuts, but disabilities rights attorneys are suing the state in a class action.

Attorneys Stan Levin and Carl Varady said the way the cuts were imposed on people like Joshua Smalley-Bower violates federal law, Medicaid rules and the patients' constitutional rights. The state said it was trying to find a collaborative way to reduce services.

The Department of Health said it will not require cutbacks if the person's safety is jeopardized or if he or she might end up in a nursing home.