Training Centers & Intermediate Care Facilities: How do we value people with disabilities?

Have you heard about the Department of Justice investigations into Virginia's institutions (aka Training Centers), and Intermediary Care Facilities (ICF)? Are you aware of the abuse and in some cases, even murder that goes on in these secluded places?

FACT: It's three times cheaper to care for a person with a disability in their home.

Currently Personal Care Aides (PCA) aren't paid more than burger flippers at McDonald's. They do not receive any type of benefits.
However, the staff in state institutions and in some Intermediary Care Facilities earn three times more as home PCAs. 
These PCAs should be seen and be treated as having serious career. They assist in executing the Olmstead Decision, which states people with disabilities have the right to live in the community.

Here's the crux of the problem: Money won't make people care like a mother. Nobody cares like your mother. 
But I do think an adequate paycheck and benefits would up the quality level of care. A higher pay grade would mean more hoops to jump through in school. It would weed out the people who really don't care.
How do you teach people to care? You can't.

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I believe there's a direct link between the marginalization of people with disabilities and poor quality PCAs providing the care.

If people with disabilities were valued more, money would allotted in the budget. The more money, the better quality of people providing the care.
The money is there in the budget, trust me. 
Expenditures involving people with disabilities are first to be cut in budgeting partly because they are seen as a non-contributing group that needs to be constantly taken care of. That is the current sad perception of people with disabilities. This perception can be changed. More people with disabilities could be employed if more businesses were opened minded. Employment coincides with inclusion in school too.

Due to the severity of disability of ICFs residents, part of what I just said doesn't apply of course.
Still, if community living were valued and if the standard practice of shipping your family member away to be cared for as the only/best option came to an end, ICFs and institutions may not even exist. 
Full circle, if people with disabilities weren't marginalized as they are these ICF horror stories wouldn't be happening.

Truth be told, money and providing disability services do not mix. It's a perfect situation for corruption and abuse. So in reality this blog entry is all hot air. A lot of blogs are nothing but hot air, so just add this one to the pile. lol! :)
Why can't we all just care for one another?

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