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Alberta Committee of Citizens with Disabilities


Good Morning, my name is Bev Matthiessen. I am the Executive
Director of the Alberta Committee of Citizens with Disabilities. ACCD is a
provincial organization that has existed for over thirty years. It is Alberta's
only cross-disability provincial advocacy group, managed by people with
disabilities. ACCD is also actively involved with the Alberta Disabilities
Forum (ADF) and is the host agency for the ADF.
Today I wish to speak to one area of concern to us. The modified
AISH Program. As you know recipients of modified AISH live in care
facilities. While the recommendations I am going to give you outline
improvements that could be made to the existing modified AISH Program,
the real concern is that many AISH recipients have no choice but to live in
care facilities because they are unable to receive the supports they require to
live independently in the community. This results in separation from family
members, reduces choices in daily living, hampers full participation in the
community, and fails to afford a satisfactory quality of life.
While the recommendations listed here will assist recipients of
modified AISH to have more disposable income and get their medical needs
met, these options must be made available in the community through
increases to home care and other supports that would make this possible.
There are questions about the validity of the modified AISH Program.
Why do some individuals with disabilities have their needs met, such as
those living in group homes, and still receive the full AISH amount? Why
The Alberta Committee of Citizens with Disabilities
707-10339 124 Street
Edmonton, AB T5N 3W1
Phone: (780) 488-9088

are individuals with high medical needs being penalized by being forced to
live in care facilities and given so little income support while others receive
the full AISH amount and are living in subsidized housing where they pay
30% of their monthly income for rent?
Observations:
· There is a need for clarification and/or change of policy on which care
facilities are eligible for modified AISH Program funding (e.g. long
term care, assisted living, hospitals, etc.).
· Government pays the facility a fee of $1,277 per month for the
modified AISH Program recipient's housing/food/medical care.
· Recipients of modified AISH receive the same health benefits as other
AISH recipients such as basic prescription drugs, eye care, emergency
ambulance, AADL, Alberta Health Care Insurance, dental care, and
essential diabetic supplies.
· Recipients of modified AISH will receive the supplemental benefits
which will be given to all AISH recipients in October 2005 (e.g.
school supplies for children, some medical supplies, overdue payment
for utilities, diabetic and special diets for medical conditions, special
transportation, and allowance for guide dogs, etc.).
· There is a facility fee charged to some recipients of modified AISH.
· Recipients of modified AISH did not receive the $150 per month
increase in the living allowance that other AISH recipients recently
received ($100 on April 1, 2005 and $50 on April 1, 2006).
· Recipients of modified AISH receive $175 per month.
· Personal items (e.g. shampoo, deodorant, over-the-counter
The Alberta Committee of Citizens with Disabilities
707-10339 124 Street
Edmonton, AB T5N 3W1
Phone: (780) 488-9088
medications, toothpaste, toothbrushes, hair brushes/combs, clothing),
dishes, furniture, mattress, bedding, towels, cleaning supplies, food
(other than what is provided at the facility) and some medical items
(e.g. trach sponges) are not covered. Many struggle with laundry,
haircuts, and nail care costs. Personal items can also go missing more
easily in care facilities than at home (e.g. many people report that
clothes are lost in the laundry).
· In addition, other items such as personal care attendants, telephone,
transportation, computer, cable, internet, and costs of university
courses are not covered. Many facility recreation/social outings are
not covered, and therefore can lead to exclusion of recipients of
modified AISH. Recreation and social opportunities have decreased in
many facilities leaving residents to seek and fund external
opportunities on their own.
· Cleaning services are not adequate in some assisted living facilities
(e.g. fifteen minutes per week).
· Access to rehabilitation services or holistic therapy is not available to
recipients of modified AISH.
· When individuals who are severely and chronically mentally ill are
hospitalized for more than 90 days, they are put on modified AISH.
When this happens, they are no longer able to pay for their housing in
the community. At the same time, they must find a place to store their
personal items, etc. When this person is released from hospital, they
must start all over again to find suitable housing to reestablish
themselves in the community.
The Alberta Committee of Citizens with Disabilities
707-10339 124 Street
Edmonton, AB T5N 3W1
Phone: (780) 488-9088
· When an AISH recipient has to move into a care facility, it is usually
done quickly because a bed has become available. This is costly to the
AISH recipient because a minimum of a month's notice (usually two)
must be given in the place where they are living. Therefore, they lose
their damage deposit. There are no extra dollars to assist with the
move (e.g. moving expenses, packing, loss of damage deposit due to
insufficient notice of move, paying rent in both places in one month,
etc.).
· There is no policy for how recipients of modified AISH would be
treated if they were employed.
· Personal goals and aspirations of recipients of modified AISH are not
taken into account. Many cannot reach their full potential because
there is a lack of funding and disability supports. The needs and
aspirations of young people on modified AISH are not taken into
consideration. Therefore, many recipients of modified AISH do not
feel they have the ability to fully participate and contribute to society.

Recommendations:
1. That people with disabilities be given adequate funding and
supports to live in the community. Therefore, there would be
less need for modified AISH.
2. That the recipients of modified AISH receive the $150 per
month increase in the living allowance that other AISH
recipients recently received.
The Alberta Committee of Citizens with Disabilities
707-10339 124 Street
Edmonton, AB T5N 3W1
Phone: (780) 488-9088
3. That a study be done to find out if and why some medically
necessary items are not covered (e.g. trach sponges). Have these
items covered either under the facility fee of $1,277 per month
or under the new supplementary benefit's list.
4. That rehabilitation therapies (OT, PT, RT) be provided to
recipients of modified AISH.
5. That financial assistance is provided to AISH recipients who
must move into a care facility.
6. That assistance is provided for individuals who are
mentally/physically ill to reestablish themselves after a stay in
the hospital that is longer than 90 days. The 90 day limit should
be removed and extended to six months. At the six month mark,
decisions could be made on a one-to-one basis with
consultation with the person with the disability.
7. That a fund be set up so that recipients of modified AISH can
apply for financial assistance for specific items (e.g. personal
care attendants, educational pursuits, lawyer's fees for making
out a will, recreation, transportation, or other items that would
enhance quality of life).
8. That a policy be created that answers the questions about how
recipients of modified AISH are treated if they are employed
(i.e. $400 employment exemption).
9. That research be done with existing recipients of modified
AISH to determine their personal goals related to community
involvement and community contribution.
The Alberta Committee of Citizens with Disabilities
707-10339 124 Street
Edmonton, AB T5N 3W1
Phone: (780) 488-9088
10. That the realization that recipients of modified AISH can and do
contribute. Funding and supports afforded to them should be
viewed as an investment.

Thank you very much for giving me the time to make this presentation. I
will leave a copy of it with you. Are there any questions?










July 27, 2005
The Alberta Committee of Citizens with Disabilities
707-10339 124 Street
Edmonton, AB T5N 3W1
Phone: (780) 488-9088