West Virginia Press Report
CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Saying the legislators and residents of West Virginia should be be ashamed, West Virginia Sen. Doug Facemire and other Democrat legislators today, Feb. 12, called for funding and action to ensure the state’s senior citizens do not have to choose between their medicine and food.
Sen. Facemire, D-Braxton, Delegate Chad Lovejoy, D-Cabell, and Senator Ron Stollings, D-Boone, presented the Democrat’s presentation: “West Virginians First” in the Lewis McManus Room at the Capitol.
Other Democrats attending the presentation included Senators Richard Lindsay, D-Kanawha; and William Ihlenfeld, D-Ohio; and Delegates Doug Skaff, D-Kanawha; Randy Swartzmiller, D-Hancock; Rodney Pyles, D-Monongalia; Joe Canestraro, D-Marshall; William Hartman, D-Randolph; Mike Pushkin, D-Kanawha; and Cindy Lavender-Bowe, D-Greenbrier.
Each day more than 85,000 senior citizens in West Virginia worry about having enough money for both their food and their medicine, Sen. Facemire said.
Sen. Stollings said “the downward pressure on the budget” reduces funds for senior programs and in-home programs, despite the fact that in-home programs are “high touch” in terms on personal contact for seniors and “low cost” in terms of expense.
The Democrats said the cost for seniors to take at home is 1/3 of the cost of them staying in care facilities.
The senior citizens want to stay at home,” Facemire said.
