Riverside County Moms Know Best
Mother after mother appeared before the Riverside County Board of
Supervisors urging them to protect the quality of care provided at Riverside County's family care clinics and eight medical treatment units, which provide physical and occupational therapy to about 1,870 developmentally-disabled children.
Physical and occupational therapists, represented by SEIU Local 721, teach children with little mobility to roll, walk and run on their own or with the help of assistance devices.
"We are devoted to helping these children succeed through physical therapy," said SEIU 721 member Samer Abdelghani. "If these cuts are made and changes to services are altered, the impact would fall on the children. We don't want that to happen."
The Department of Public Health faces about $5 million in proposed cuts for the 2009-10 fiscal year, while the county grapples with $130 million in revenue losses. The Board will make final budget decisions for the 2009-10 budget by mid June.
What's at Stake?
Family Care Clinics Stand to Lose
Children Impacted by Proposed Changes
Physical and occupational therapists, represented by SEIU Local 721, teach children with little mobility to roll, walk and run on their own or with the help of assistance devices.
"We are devoted to helping these children succeed through physical therapy," said SEIU 721 member Samer Abdelghani. "If these cuts are made and changes to services are altered, the impact would fall on the children. We don't want that to happen."
The Department of Public Health faces about $5 million in proposed cuts for the 2009-10 fiscal year, while the county grapples with $130 million in revenue losses. The Board will make final budget decisions for the 2009-10 budget by mid June.
What's at Stake?
Family Care Clinics Stand to Lose
- Reduce approximately 20,000 annual appointments
- Staff reductions including physicians, registered nurses and nutritionists
- Decreased primary care and longer wait times
Children Impacted by Proposed Changes
- Reduced therapy sessions from 30 minutes to 20 minutes
- Group therapy implemented instead of individual therapy Delayed evaluations
- Increased wait times for new clients
SEIU721 Physical Therapists Helped My Son
"Therapy has improved his life by giving him the resources needed to function in his life."
Eli Woodward, 5, was born with encepholocele, a condition that caused a portion of his brain to grow outside of the skull, his mother Sarah Woodward said.
- Hold a cup and drink it by himself
- Eat finger foods
- Crawl from room to room
- Play with toys
- Interact with his twin brother
- Focus on tasks
"Therapy has improved his life by giving him the resources needed to function in his life."
Eli Woodward, 5, was born with encepholocele, a condition that caused a portion of his brain to grow outside of the skull, his mother Sarah Woodward said.
My daughter has been receiving both PT and OT from a CCS Medical Therapy Unit in Riverside for the last 3 years. She has always met with each therapist for 30 minutes ea., twice a week. As of her latest 6 month review, her sessions were cut as follows:
PT - Once a week for 3 months, then down to Once a month for 9 months.
OT - Once a week for 3 months, then down to Once a month for 3 months, and then only twice in the last 6 months.
This therapy has greatly increased my daughter's quality of life both now and in her future. When she was first injured her physical abilities were below newborn level (she was 2 months old#. Now at 4 years old her language and cognative abilities are at a 3 to 4 year old level #almost normal#, and her physical abilities range from 9 months #she can't walk# to 2 years #she feeds with a spoon). Her huge improvements over the last 3 years were said to be almost impossible by her doctors initially, and are due to the PT and OT, and county school programs that are now being cut.
I am so sad to see this area of the budget cut, as it will decrease the quality of life for so many kids who won't get the level of therapy that my daughter received during the critical first 3 years.