I am writing to ask your support for the Office of Health Services (OHS) grant for Adult Medical Day Care.  This program is a vital component of Maryland's services that allow our seniors to thrive and enjoy their lives in community-based settings.  Community-based programs are a more cost-effective way to provide services to people and a preferred service for seniors and their family members.  Without the OHS grant,many of these individuals would no longer be able to remain in the community setting or their homes and would end up in more expensive inpatient and residential settings.  Additionally, families and caregivers would not be afforded much needed respite; have great difficulty managing work schedules, resulting in lower and/or lost wages.
 
State policy and federally funded initiatives have been focused on the prevention of institutional care.  Cutting the OHS budget for Adult Medical Day Care goes against supporting these initiatives.  With the many funding and budget challenges the State is facing, supporting this grant makes sense in the potential savings realized by supporting seniors in the community setting versus the institutional setting. 

I am passionately ask you to maintain funding for the Office of Health Services (OHS) Medical Adult Day Care Grant Program.  Thank you for your consideration.