WA Cares Will Provide Our Family With Paralysis Support
Dani never expected she’d be the one needing home care. When a routine medical procedure left her paralyzed, Dani suddenly needed paralysis support and help with daily tasks.
When Dani became paralyzed, she had a two-year old child. The only choice they had was for her husband to quit his job so that he could provide paralysis support. That would have meant selling their house and draining their savings to qualify for Medicaid.
“I was partially paralyzed in a routine medical procedure. Like most families, we don’t have enough to pay for a home care aide if I ever need one. Now thanks to WA Cares, we have more options. We both put in a little from our paychecks now, and WA Cares will pay for a home care aide, when we need one. So Sam can keep working, knowing I’m well cared for at home.”
– Dani Rice, Asotin, WA
Luckily, Dani and Sam didn’t have to make the choice between getting the right paralysis support and their family’s dreams. WA Cares will make sure they have funds for paralysis support for Dani. Now they have the peace of mind that they can face whatever comes their way.
Dani’s Story
I went in for a routine medical procedure when I was 30 years old. I came out of the hospital with permanent paralysis on the left side of my body, and will use a wheelchair the rest of my life. Our son was just two.
When you are young, you can’t imagine needing help with basic tasks like dressing, bathing, making meals, getting around. I never thought I’d be the one who may need a caregiver someday, let alone paralysis support.
If Sam has to quit his job to become a caregiver for me, we’d have to sell our house and our savings would be non-existent. I don’t know how we’d make it financially.
With my ongoing medical needs, we’ve realized that even really good health insurance doesn’t cover long-term care. And we’ve seen how my grandparents had to drain their hard-earned savings and sell all their assets to qualify for Medicaid.
“We never thought we’d need WA Cares. We were wrong.”
Good thing there’s WA Cares for paralysis support.
We were thrilled to learn that Washington created the WA Cares Fund. It is a safety net to help working families like ours cover the costs of care needed for paralysis support. It also covers us due to an injury, illness, disease, or the normal limitations that come as we age.
We’ll be able to tap into our WA Cares Funds to pay for care at home.
Beginning next year, we will contribute through a payroll deduction of 58 cents for each $100 earned. That’s about $290 for me, earning $50,000 a year. Then, once fully vested, we’ll be eligible to receive $36,500 (which will rise with inflation rates) in benefits. We can use these funds to cover a broad range of services. WA Cares can help by paying family caregivers, hiring home care aides, making home modifications or purchasing medical equipment.
WA Cares will be there when we need it.
Fortunately for Sam, myself, and other hard-working Washingtonians, we will have an option our grandparents didn’t have. WA Cares is a guaranteed fund that will be there when we need it, so we can stay in our home as long as possible.
Dani: I never thought I would need WA Cares. I was wrong. It was supposed to be a routine procedure, but at 30 I was partially paralyzed.
Sam: If I have to quit my job to take care of Dani,
Dani: We’d lose our house and our savings just to qualify for Medicaid. Good thing there’s the new WA Cares.
Sam: We’re both working, so a little comes out of our paychecks.
Dani: WA Cares will be there when we need a helping hand.
Let Us Know How WA Cares Will Help Your Family
Learn more about how The WA Cares Fund is providing paralysis support to Washingtonians.