Maria Ventura

Hello, my name is Maria Ventura. For the past six years, I have worked as a Personal Care Assistant through Virginia's consumer-directed Medicaid waiver for a man named Christopher.

I do all things that Christopher needs to live independently. I bathe him, I dress him, I feed him, and I do his laundry. Without my assistance, Christopher would probably have to live in a nursing home. But he doesn't want to live in a nursing home. He wants to be in the community.

The consumer-directed personal care program through Medicaid is a very good thing. It lets people like Christopher live at home, where they want to be, instead of an institution. Also, it saves the state money. Because at-home care is less expensive that institutional care.  I'm glad that I can help Christopher live at home.

However, this is very hard work. And there are a lot of challenges. The pay is low. I don't have any sick days. I don't have any vacation days. I don't have any benefits.

And most importantly, I don't have any healthcare. If I get sick, I have to pay the Doctor out of my own pocket. I have high cholesterol and high blood pressure. I try to take good care of myself, but the Doctor's visits and the medicine are very, very expensive.

I worry about my health, and I worry about how long I can be a Personal Care Assistant if we don't have health insurance. And I worry about Christopher. If I can't be his PCA, who will be there to help him? I worry that he would be forced to live in a nursing home. Sadly, because of the low wages and no healthcare, there aren't enough quality PCAs to help all of our seniors and people with disabilities.

That is why we need the General Assembly to help. We need to the General Assembly to raise the wages for consumer-directed Personal Care Assistants. And we need the General Assembly to help provide healthcare for Personal Care Assistants.

We help save the state a lot of money, but we need help ourselves. If we don't make this a better job -- with better wages and healthcare -- I worry that there won't be anyone to take care of Christopher. 

Thank you.