By Gale Smith
I am a lifelong New Jersey resident and currently live in a nursing home in Somerset County.
This was by no means a plan. I grew up in Morris County, owned a Middlesex County home for 20 years and raised two wonderful sons. For most of these years I was a single parent who worked as a law secretary and the rest of my time as an administrative assistant.
At 46, I was disabled due to neck and back issues and carpal tunnel syndrome. I lived on my own until four years ago, when I was 64 years old and almost died due to a health emergency. I have been living in a nursing home ever since.
Like me, for Medicaid nursing home residents, New Jersey gives nursing homes monthly income, except for $50. This is everything we have to live.
Over the past four years, I have been blessed with receiving some gifts and a little financial help from my family and friends. Many residents don't have anyone to help financially. $50 is insufficiently insufficient to pay for things the nursing home doesn't provide.
That's a shame and shouldn't be done like this.
The New Jersey Legislature is currently considering a bill to increase the individual needs allowance (PNA) from $50 a month to $140.
(For more information on PNA Act, Congressional Bill A3908/Senate Building S3319, njleg.state.nj.us, see details)
I want nursing home residents across the state to understand how life-changing this can be.
Forbes Advisor ranks New Jersey as the fifth most expensive state living behind Hawaii, Massachusetts, California and New York. However, according to the American Council on Aging, 31 states and the District of Columbia provide higher PNA to nursing home residents.
In New Jersey, you need more money to buy something like clothes. Some nursing homes use strict detergents from industrial machines to wash clothes off together with severely dirty items, which wears out quickly.
If you lose weight or gain weight, you will also need different clothes.
When people were calling me “buggy pants” after I lost a lot of weight, I knew it was time to get new clothes.
But what do you think? I worked on buying new, better fit clothes last year, but $50 a month wasn't enough to buy essentials and replace all my baggy clothes.
Just like anyone, you need a haircut. My previous women's haircuts in nursing homes cost $40 for all but my monthly PNA $10. I asked to at least find someone who might be able to cut a straight line. I did that hairstyle until I was able to ride a discount salon. So they actually straightened it.
Our facilities regularly have food shortages. When they run out of fresh vegetables and make salads, we may wait for another birth. We still have uncooked vegetables that are less nutritious.
Plus, there is a salt-free kitchen, sometimes very bland food and repeat options. If we want more taste satisfaction, we are ourselves to buy it.
Some residents get gifts and treats. Some people get their intended promises that are not kept. Perhaps that's the case where we “can't see, don't care.”
Some people get help from God, while others last longer than expected. This happened to me, which makes me very grateful to Jesus.
From the Bible, James 2:15-16: “Suppose your brothers and sisters have no clothes and daily food. If one of you says to them, “Don't worry, raise them warmly.
This bill is an opportunity for Congress to give residents what they need. Helping us restore some of our dignity and give us more options will change our lives.
This is not a disappointing party.
We are just saying this is a difficult way to live, and this increase will help us. Don't leave us “unseen, care.”
Most of us have worked hard in everything in our lives and lived independently. We deserve to live independently again.
Calling out elected representatives in the state legislature or Senate is the most effective way to influence policy. To express your position to find your state legislators and senators, visit the legislative list on the New Jersey Legislature website.
Long-term care residents are leading the initiative with technical support from the Long-Term Care Ombudsman Community Engagement Program. Call (609) 690-4740 or email community@ltco.nj.gov.
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