Submitted by Lee Dobson, Area Director, NC Government Affairs (GAO)

On August 16, Representative John Fraley visited with staff from our Lake Norman adult office before heading to meet with his constituent, our client, Mr. Bachner.  Associate Lauren Keys, the Hearts for Home Care Ambassador who organized the home visits, commented “Rep. Fraley came prepared with good questions about home care and Medicaid reform.  While he doesn’t sit on a health committee, he wanted to learn about our issues.”  Clinical Manager Mary Hope Milligan and Client Services Manager Lucas Reives both described our recruiting challenges.

Mr. Bachner, a 90-year old WWII, Korean, and Vietnam vet, was a delight.  He shared many stories of his life, his children, and his service to our country.  It was especially heartwarming to hear how he met his wife, Cora, and after a week proposed marriage – a marriage that lasted 60-year.

While Mr. Bachner is satisfied with his Veterans Administration (VA) benefits, we took this opportunity to share with Rep. Fraley the disparity between VA and Medicaid and how difficult it is to staff under Medicaid because the rates are so low.  As a retired businessman, Rep. Fraley understood and said, “Thank you for opportunity to meet with BAYADA staff and Mr. Bachner.  This was a good learning experience for me, as well as, a treat!“  As our meeting concluded, he commented that all he needed to remember was that we’re looking to get to $17.00 per hour next session.