So let me make sure I understand this correctly, VIRGINIA! ??

You want to reduce the hours families receive to care for their loved ones with disabilities. You want to eliminate Services Facilitation as we know it, removing independent advocates who help families navigate an already complicated system. You have a 56-hour soft cap that raises serious concerns about whether individuals with significant disabilities can safely remain in their homes.

But THEN you turn around and acknowledge that Virginia is suffering from a HEALTHCARE WORKER SHORTAGE?!

MAKE IT MAKE SENSE!

How can we talk about a shortage of healthcare workers while making it increasingly difficult for families to access the care and support they need at home?

What happens to individuals whose needs don’t magically stop after 56 hours? What happens when families can no longer safely manage their loved ones’ care? Are we simply supposed to accept that institutional placement becomes their only option?

And what happens when families lose access to independent Services Facilitators who advocate for their needs, assist with authorization requests, challenge inadequate service hours, and help ensure their loved ones receive the support necessary to remain safely in their communities?

Who is going to advocate for these families when the very system determining their services is also controlling the support they receive?

My concern is that we’re creating a system where individuals with disabilities are left with fewer options, less independent advocacy, and a greater risk of institutionalization. And let’s not pretend that institutional facilities are somehow immune to the very healthcare staffing shortages we’re discussing!

These aren’t just numbers on a budget. These are HUMAN BEINGS. Children. Adults. Individuals with complex medical needs. Families who are already doing everything they possibly can to keep their loved ones safe, cared for, and HOME.

Virginia cannot continue talking about improving healthcare access while families are fighting to maintain the services that make living at home possible.

WELL DONE, VIRGINIA. WELL DONE! ????

We’re discussing a healthcare workforce shortage while simultaneously considering changes that could make an already strained disability services system even harder to navigate.

At this point, the irony is absolutely astounding.

And yes, I’m going to keep asking questions, because the families depending on these services deserve answers, not another round of bureaucratic nonsense.

?? Virginia, you’re really giving “shining toilet bowl” energy right now. All that polishing on the outside while the people who need help are still getting flushed through the system.