If you’ve ever needed help doing basic things like getting dressed, getting around, making meals, managing medication, going to the doctor — you know how vulnerable a feeling that is. If you’re lucky enough to have family or friends help you out, that’s great. But when the need for care goes on for more than a week or two, the challenge of finding someone who has time to help, or finding a way to pay for a home care aide, is stressful.
The new WA Cares benefit for workers like me is going to provide a bridge, instead of making us decide between getting, or going without, the help we need. We can tap into our WA Cares benefits instead of our own savings to get help if we have a serious debilitating event. This fund will help us keep living in our own homes as long as possible by paying a home care aide or even a family member to care for us when we have limitations due to an injury, disease or aging.
WA Cares isn’t perfect, but it’s going to give us more support, more time and more options than we would have without it, during the most difficult times of our lives.
