As a resident of the neighboring state of New Jersey, I’ve seen a lot of news coverage about NY Governor Kathy Hochul’s announcement regarding the Consumer Directed Personal Assistance Program (CDPAP). Public Partnerships (PPL) was named as the statewide partner – along with their CDPAP partners – for the program, and I’ve seen concerns in the press about PPL’s ability to handle the upcoming transition.
As a caregiver in a similar program in New Jersey – also serviced by PPL – I would like to share my own experience.
First of all, I am a proud father of Jason, my 39-year-old son who has a disability. My wife and I are his primary caregivers and can give him a safe, loving environment in our own home thanks to the New Jersey self-direction program managed by PPL.
But it wasn’t always this way.
Prior to learning about self-direction, Jason was receiving care at a local day program. However, he was not doing well there. He was often anxious, agitated, and generally downcast. So, we immediately sought other care options and my wife started caring for him at home.
Once we brought him home, Jason’s demeanor started to improve but the nature of doing all the caregiving for Jason without any financial support and help for my wife was draining on our family.
It was then that I heard about a NJ self-direction program administered by PPL and, that quite simply, changed our lives.
My wife began working with PPL as a self-directed caregiver in 2018. Through the program, she was able to receive financial support for her caregiving work for Jason. I was also able to retire early in 2020 and joined her in dedicating our time to caring for Jason.
We now added peace of mind and reduced emotional stress because now we know that Jason will be cared for properly. No one can provide better care for a child than a loving parent.
Self-direction also better meets Jason’s personal care needs, as he no longer has to suffer through anxiety-filled car rides to receive care and can even choose when he wants to eat each day, which was often a source of emotional stress.
I only wish I had discovered the program sooner. Self-direction can completely change your life – it’s been an incredible blessing to us.
I’m so thankful for PPL. Now I just submit my timecard each week and I can devote (the rest of) my time to Jason, instead of worrying about making money elsewhere. PPL has supported us throughout our self-direction journey and the support has made all the difference.
Ricky Hascup (and his son Jason) currently participates in the New Jersey Division of Developmental Disabilities Self-Directed Option administered by PPL as the fiscal intermediary.
Opinions expressed are solely those of the writer and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Able News at The Viscardi Center and/or The Viscardi Center. For previously published perspectives on this topic, we invite you to read the following op-eds from our October 2024 issue, “Save CDPAP: A Call to Protect Our Community” and “Take Action! Our Lives Depend On It.”