Profile of Gil Jose
Profile: Gil Jose
Gilbert (Gil) Jose, a 26-year-old resident of Madison, Wisconsin, learned quickly, and suddenly, the heavy financial and emotional toll of caring for an ill family member. In his sophomore year of college at the University of Maryland – Baltimore County, Gil’s mother suffered a serious stroke. The stroke left her semi-paralyzed on her right side and in need of constant care. Suddenly Gil took on the role of caregiver and householder, in addition to full-time student and employee.
Gil became responsible for managing and purchasing his mother’s medications, navigating the complicated healthcare system, paying household bills, applying for public assistance with Balitmore County Social Services, helping his mother build her strength through daily exercises, completing a full semester of coursework as a biochemistry major and working two part-time jobs, as a tutor and lab-tech, to afford his and his mother’s basic needs.
At the time of Gil’s mother’s stroke, she was without health insurance and the medical debt associated with her ongoing care and prescription medication spiraled upward, causing Gil’s and his mother’s credit scores to plummet. One of Gil’s mother’s medications cost $175 per month. Gil and his mother made the very difficult decision to take the medication over the course of two months, because they simply could not afford to do otherwise.
Helping his mother access public benefits and services was one of the most difficult jobs for Gil. Spending hours in line and providing the appropriate paperwork was time-intensive, making it difficult for Gil to spend more quality time with his mother and attend to his schoolwork. For a short time, Gil’s mother was eligible for Medicaid. Due to the family’s income, although limited, she subsequently lost access to healthcare benefits through Medicaid.
In the years following the stroke, Gil’s mother dealt with additional health struggles, including a breast cancer diagnosis and a broken hip. Both catastrophic events led to surgery and additional medications, leading to greater costs and additional medical debt for Gil and his mother. In fact, one of his mother’s critical heart medications cost over $300 per month. From 2001 to 2005, if not at work or in class, Gil spent all of his time caring for his mother, purchasing groceries or preparing food, attending to chores or managing his mother’s health care services and medications.
Gil successfully completed college and was accepted to a PhD program in Wisconsin. Although apprehensive, Gil and his mother moved to Wisconsin for a new beginning. It was there that Gil and his mother discovered Care Wisconsin where Gil’s mother is enrolled in family care partnership program. Through Care Wisconsin, Gil’s mother receives transportation to and from doctor’s appointments and engages in social programming three days per week at an Adult Day Center in Madison. In addition, her medications are managed and delivered by Care Wisconsin staff to the home. While enrolled in the program, Gil’s mother suffered a second stroke and Care Wisconsin was there to help Gil’s mother get out of bed and ready to start her day. Having Care Wisconsin there to help with caregiving activities and provide additional support to Gil’s mother has been what Gil describes as “his saving grace.”
Today, Gil and his mother are in a much better position financially and emotionally. Between many loving friends and the staff at Care Wisconsin, Gil and his mother have an invaluable support network in Wisconsin. Gil sees many opportunities for policy makers to address some of the issues that made it so difficult for him and his mother to manage her health. According to Gil, access to health insurance would have made one of the biggest differences for both him and his mother, financially and emotionally. The stress of affording the full cost of his mother’s care took a significant toll on both Gil and his mother.
Also, Gil feels strongly that the income guidelines for many public programs are far too low. Gil and his mother could not make ends meet, and yet they weren’t able to access public benefits programs to help. In particular, Gil’s story illustrates the significant impact that health care costs can have on elders and their families. The cost of medications, medical procedures and on-going long term care can have a significant impact on the financial well-being of caregivers and older adults. According to the Wisconsin Elder Economic Security Standard™ Index (Elder Index), the cost of long term care can double, if not triple, an elder’s expenses. Without adequate income, often times, as in Gil’s case, this results in difficult sacrifices and crippling debt.
Stories like that of Gil and his mother illustrate the need for well-informed decision making by policy makers, service providers and advocates working on behalf of family caregivers and low-income seniors, particularly given the economic downturn and state budget constraints. The Wisconsin Elder Economic Security Initiative™ offers a conceptual framework and concrete tools, such as the Elder Economic Security Standard™ Index, to evaluate how well programs and policies are helping elders who struggle to make ends meet.
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