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* It won’t be easy, both because of the subject matter and because it’s an amateur production, but whatever else you do today you must force yourself to watch this video…

* As we’ve discussed before, the Illinois Department of Human Services has clamped down on overtime by personal caregivers to avoid paying time and a half per federal rule…

Terri Harkin, vice president in charge of home health care for SEIU, said Rauner is using the policy as leverage to extract concessions in negotiations to replace the union’s contract with the state, which expired June 30. Human Services spokeswoman Marianne Manko chastised SEIU for trying to salvage a system that endorses what she said was “slave labor.”

A Jan. 1 federal rule decreed that home-care workers on the clock more than 40 hours a week be paid time-and-a-half for overtime. Rauner, managing a state with a multibillion-dollar deficit and no approved budget plan, ordered a limit to overtime. Human Services said additional workers would have to be brought into homes where the caretaker worked more than 40 hours.

“In unilaterally implementing the new cap and throwing the system of care in disarray, the Rauner administration has violated the law,” Harkin said in a statement. “But this is not just illegal policy — it hurts people with disabilities.”

Manko said the policy doesn’t ban or cap overtime, but rather it requires workers to justify the hours they report on the job. She said other state agencies and private-sector employers follow such policies.

* OK, back to the video. I’m told that Jordon’s mom Theresa has been his sole personal assistant up until recently and provided about 75 hours a week of service.

Jordon apparently has multiple disabilities, including an inability to absorb vitamin D, osteoporosis, an inability to swallow and a severe seizure disorder. He needs to be watched 24/7 and seizes multiple times a day. The complexity of his disabilities has made it extremely difficult to secure additional attendants, and his mom can’t leave him with his father because he has a history of heart attacks, so it wouldn’t be safe.

Theresa, I’m told, applied for an overtime exception for her son, but was denied and she had to cut back to 40 hours per week. But she also had to find a part-time job to make up for the lost income.

She managed to find someone to work with Jordon while she is at her new job, but that will end in 3 months and she is said to be very concerned that she won’t find another caregiver.

* A close family member of mine is going through a similar situation with her grandma, who just had a serious stroke. They had such a difficult experience finding a qualified, caring personal attendant for her now late grandpa that her mom will be quitting her job to provide the care this time around.

We need to help these people. And the state needs to realize that they may be causing more harm by trying to save a few bucks on overtime.

…Adding… From a friend of Theresa’s…

Before April 2008, Theresa worked at North American Lighting for nearly fifteen years. Jordon was able to walk and was a different person. Before December 2007 Jordon rarely had a seizure. In December of 2007, he was nearly dead on the table at Salem Township hospital post a non stopping grand mal seizure. He was sent to ICU at Barnes. He was put into a coma to stop the seizing. They lost half of Jordon’s abilities that day. After Jordon’s hospitalization in December 2007 Theresa found it too difficult to continue working, plus handle his medical appointments, plus be up at night. Jordon’s service plan has him at 300 hours of service per 31 day month, or about 67 hrs of Home Services Program support per week. He has another personal attendant who only works two to three days per week at 5-6 hours on those days. This person works approximately 15 hours a week, with Theresa handling the other 52. Even with the other personal attendant, Theresa is still leery of leaving but must at times. Theresa’s husband also has a history of multiple heart attacks. With the DHS overtime policy as it is, if Theresa’s husband were to pass (or leave for that matter) Theresa would only have the 40 hours a week of work, which is unsustainable financially for her to keep Jordon at home.

Also, Theresa says the 3 month job did not pan out and the attendant she found to cover those hours quit before starting.

…Adding… Related…

* Mothers, other women hurt more by budget impasse

* Report: Budget Impasse Creating Barriers For Women and Mothers

posted by Rich Miller
Tuesday, May 10, 16 @ 12:15 pm

Comments

Heartbreaking reminder that the victims of Rauner’s budget demands are the weakest among us. The safety net for people w disabilities is fraying badly.

Marianne Manko has to be wishing she still worked in tv news.

Comment by Handle Bar Mustache Tuesday, May 10, 16 @ 12:24 pm
Sad indeed. Manko said other state agencies follow the overtime limiting policies. LOL. Check out the Illinois State Toll Highway Authority and the vast amounts of overtime paid out to the state police in district 15. At times there is so much overtime available, they have a hard time finding troopers to volunteer to work it. So NO these overtime rules do not apply to all state agencies!

Comment by Anonymous Tuesday, May 10, 16 @ 12:25 pm
“Manko said the policy doesn’t ban or cap overtime, but rather it requires workers to justify the hours they report on the job.”

And if they can justify the hours and CARE, three strikes and they are out!

Is this the same Marianne Manko that was a reporter??? How would she have reported on Jordan and his mom while at WICS or WAND??? Some of her statements on Rauner and cuts that are needed were captured in Bernie’s column a while back (pp 2-3_:

http://www.sj-r.com/article/20151219/OPINION/151219572/?Start=2

Comment by Anon221 Tuesday, May 10, 16 @ 12:30 pm
These are the people that EVERYONE, regardless of ideological stripe are agreed we, as a society, as a state, need to take care of. There should be no arguments or posturing by either party. Do it.

Comment by Lt. Guv. Tuesday, May 10, 16 @ 12:36 pm
Remember, according to Rauner’s own words, these people are to be leveraged.

Comment by Anonymous Tuesday, May 10, 16 @ 12:47 pm
This is simply another disturbing reminder of where our leaders priorities actually are.

We can be reminded one face at a time or simply consider the thousands of anonymous citizens that have lost their safety net and who somehow are left on their fend for themselves.

I am not good at religious quotes, and refrain from doing so, but “… unto the least of these …” comes to mind.

Yet, our Governor has no social agenda!

Comment by illini Tuesday, May 10, 16 @ 12:48 pm
Ithink these programs are great, and this is a sad sad story.

The issue here is one of monitoring. someone likes this needs a person in the same room as them almost all the time so they can assist if something happens. the problem is getting somone who has enough training to handle an emergency at a cost that includes necessary downtime while they just monitor. Hospitals do this by having one person cover multiple rooms or patients. My sugfestion for a short term fix, these folks should come together and swap for the extra hours. i watch your kid for 25 hrs a d you watch mine for 25hrs. then they get paid straight time for the extra hours working for somone else, but by seappig can hopefully find good flks like themselves to help

Comment by Ghost Tuesday, May 10, 16 @ 12:50 pm
The State’s failure to provide flexibility for families in this situation is a sign of the tremendous disrespect the State has for people with disabilities, and those providing in-home personal care. Ironically those in charge think people like Theresa and her son are “disrespectful of the process.” There are many in a similar situation who are afraid to speak out lest they face retaliation or being blacklisted.

Comment by Quill Tuesday, May 10, 16 @ 12:50 pm
When our son who now lives in a state center, and receives fabulous care lived at home I was offered 15 hours of help a week…..a ridiculous offer….my son along with many others requires 24 hour a day watching and care…

Comment by Anonymous Tuesday, May 10, 16 @ 12:53 pm
This is a disgusting situation. We’re supposed to be the wealthiest nations but instead are a laughing stock of a country.

Comment by Belle Tuesday, May 10, 16 @ 12:57 pm
A Jan. 1 federal rule decreed that home-care workers on the clock more than 40 hours a week be paid time-and-a-half for overtime.

Why, if the caregiver is the mother of the patient, is this rule necessary? Were caregiver mothers asking for this rule? If not, why force it on them?

Comment by CapnCrunch Tuesday, May 10, 16 @ 1:01 pm
typo - meant to say “left out there to fend for themselves.”

Comment by illini Tuesday, May 10, 16 @ 1:02 pm
Puzzling - isn’t it the Gov’s OT cap that turned this job into “slave labor?”

Comment by EconLady Tuesday, May 10, 16 @ 1:04 pm
This overtime ruling also negatively affects me, my daughter, and my family. The state of Illinois has crafted the harshest possible response to the federal overtime rules. Other states have devised ways to support individuals, caretakers, and families.

I’d like to take a minute to remind Illinoisans that we live in the fifth wealthiest state in the wealthiest nation in the world.

Find. Another. Way.

Comment by Dome Gnome Tuesday, May 10, 16 @ 1:10 pm
State operated facilities like the state hospitals also use vast amounts of overtime.

Comment by SouthernILGirl Tuesday, May 10, 16 @ 1:12 pm
= Remember, according to Rauner’s own words, these people are to be leveraged. =

Karma’s gonna be a real S.O.B. one of these days.

Comment by James Knell Tuesday, May 10, 16 @ 1:16 pm
No one wishes to have a child, brought into this world with medical issues. No one except someone with a disabled child, or elderly infirmed adult/parent can understand.. Like the Gov.
so you have a child, that child grows up wants to be like everyone else, work, see the world, marry, get diploma, excel. How when you have a draconian Gov. whom wishes he had a stranglehold on the purse of Illinois. for a person to see it you have to”live it daily”. to stop spending money you have to invest wisely, and we parents and sons and daughters of the disabled are not going to lie down on our children, parents, grandparents, or brothers and sisters.

Comment by Living it daily Tuesday, May 10, 16 @ 1:32 pm
Yep, awful. This overtime change smells of Darth Arduin. I believe a lot of these changes came at her suggestion. She suggested similar things in California.

Comment by Honeybear Tuesday, May 10, 16 @ 1:34 pm
Bruce doesn’t have a social agenda.

Remember?

Comment by wordslinger Tuesday, May 10, 16 @ 1:39 pm
Community based local providers are almost all facing serious problems findng people to fill very similar direct service provide jobs. Having 20-50 open positions and staff turnover rates of 50%+ is fairly common not only in Illinois but nationwide. Adding in home based services is just making the situation worse.

Comment by zatoichi Tuesday, May 10, 16 @ 1:49 pm
“Can’t afford to be compassionate without being competitive.”

Comment by Jorge Tuesday, May 10, 16 @ 1:50 pm
Living it daily - “and sons and daughters of the disabled are not going to lie down on our children, parents, grandparents, or brothers and sisters.”

Exactly, and that is exactly what many are doing even if they are not technically disabled, but because they are family.

Comment by illini Tuesday, May 10, 16 @ 1:53 pm
Yep…Thanks for the memories…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_kM7NvQTUDU

Comment by Anon221 Tuesday, May 10, 16 @ 1:54 pm
Remember to Vote Accordingly in November, people.

Comment by Big Joe Tuesday, May 10, 16 @ 1:54 pm
Vote Accordingly would be a good campaign strategy for candidates being opposed by Raunerites. Some excellent campaign fodder growin’ out there getting ready and ripe for a “harvest”.

Comment by Anon221 Tuesday, May 10, 16 @ 2:00 pm
But we can’t help these folks. A progressive tax rate that could help provide enough revenue to pay overtime to these individuals is a bad idea, remember? If policies like this are not implemented, millionaires and billionaires just might decide to leave the state! Until we get “long term reform”, this is simply frustrating “short term pain”. And of course, all of you seem to be forgetting the fact that this is all the fault of Mike Madigan and years of corrupt democratic rule. Does Lucky Pierre need to explain it all yet again?

Comment by fka Lester Holt's Mustache Tuesday, May 10, 16 @ 2:06 pm
What employer doesn’t get to approve its employees hour of work and overtime? By the way 75 hours/week is 40 straight time + 35 OT; at $13/hour wage rate thats over $60,000/year

Comment by kane co Tuesday, May 10, 16 @ 2:21 pm
===Vote Accordingly would be a good campaign strategy for candidates being opposed by Raunerites.===

I would agree. Raunerites. “Vote Accordingly” to make sure you are not fooled again.

To the Post,

When you have your wife claim you have no social agenda, and you have bean counters refusing to see the “penny wise” adage as a warning, your systematic decimating of social services can’t be put off as a “misunderstanding”.

Vote Accordingly, if you have… a social conscious.

Comment by Oswego Willy Tuesday, May 10, 16 @ 2:29 pm
“I’m frustrated 2, but taking steps towards reforming IL more important than short term budget stalemate”
@RonSandack

“Bruce doesn’t have a social agenda” Diana

Comment by Handle Bar Mustache Tuesday, May 10, 16 @ 2:34 pm
kane co- “…thats over $60,000/year…”

As opposed to an average of $64970 per year for a nursing home, which would probably cost even more because I’m sure Jordon would suffer more there and end up with some severe and costly hospitalizations because there simply is not enough staff or hours to provide him the 24/7 care he is able to receive at home.

http://www.seniorhomes.com/s/illinois/nursing-homes/

Comment by Anon221 Tuesday, May 10, 16 @ 2:37 pm
==thats over $60,000/year==

I’m not sure what your point is.

Comment by Demoralized Tuesday, May 10, 16 @ 2:40 pm
Demoralized- my response to kane co, or kane co’s “analysis’?

Comment by Anon221 Tuesday, May 10, 16 @ 2:42 pm
Anybody that looks at this or that has been following this issue has to be sick over it (if they are a human being). If this doesn’t convince people that the Governor is out to reduce the wages of people then nothing will. Perhaps the Governor can spend a day or two in the shoes of these people and then tell them all what a good decision it is to limit their OT pay and dictate to them that they don’t possibly need to work so much OT (as if care is an 8 hour a day job).

Comment by Demoralized Tuesday, May 10, 16 @ 2:44 pm
Yep. This…

@RonSandack: I’m frustrated 2, but taking steps towards reforming IL more important than short term budget stalemate. - Ron Sandack, 9/28/15

Ron Sandack is frustrated, “no doubt”, but…

“but”

Reforms are just more important than people? Ron Sandack’s tweet, is there a doubt?

“4) Do not use Twitter.”

Comment by Oswego Willy Tuesday, May 10, 16 @ 2:48 pm
There does seem to be an exception process, and I wonder why this family didn’t qualify.

On the other hand, this is difficult work and if the providers are working overtime, I think they should be paid more if they work longer hours. Speaking from experience, my extended family is presently hiring and supervising caregivers for a member with severe dementia, this is private pay, we pay time and a half if they stay over, but we prefer that they only work the shift not because we are trying to save money but because they are often exhausted at end of shift. We don’t think it is good for the caregiver, or good for our relative if the caregiver is exhausted.

Comment by Cassandra Tuesday, May 10, 16 @ 3:10 pm
====thats over $60,000/year====

==I’m not sure what your point is.==

Demoralized, the point clearly is that Jordan isn’t worth the $60,000 necessary to pay his mom so that they can have a roof over their head.

Because, after all - “We don’t have the money to be able to be compassionate.”

Comment by Name Withheld Tuesday, May 10, 16 @ 3:44 pm
If people don’t suffer badly enough, it won’t be an effective wedge issue to get Democrats to turn on unions. Plus, it would be great if a large multi-state corporation were in charge of his care rather than a small provider like a parent or something like that. /s

That said, the state does have to control costs and this is a new federal regulation to which it has to adapt. The way it goes about that tells us what kind of leadership is steering things.

Comment by Earnest Tuesday, May 10, 16 @ 4:07 pm
This is terrible, yet another victim of the We Don’t Care coalition.

The following is worse, though I have just as much sympathy for this mother:

http://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/schaumburg-hoffman-estates/news/ct-disabled-daughter-killed-met-20160510-story.html

Comment by Wensicia Tuesday, May 10, 16 @ 6:02 pm
I get the point this video makes … but where is this child’s father? Why isn’t he helping his child? Was it his choice to abandon his son? Then use the IMDMA to slam him instead of using the IMDMA to slam fathers who want to be involved in their child’s life.

Comment by Where is DAD? Thursday, May 12, 16 @ 2:31 pm