To the editor:

Imagine you’ve paid off your primary living expenses, and now you’re left with a mere $50 monthly to buy a gift card for your grandchild, a favorite snack, better-fitting clothes, or countless other necessities.

Such is the case for tens of thousands of residents in nursing homes across New York State. This small sum — $50 — is called the personal needs allowance, or PNA. For nursing home residents whose primary payor source is Medicaid, it’s the monthly discretionary amount that they can spend on personal items such as toiletries, a phone service, stamps and stationery, or other similar items of their choice.

Stunningly, the $50 PNA limit in New York hasn’t increased since 1988 — nearly four decades ago — and 28 states allow higher amounts. Simply adjusting for inflation, $50 is equivalent to $140 in today’s dollars.

Under Medicaid, nursing facilities are responsible for providing for a resident’s basic needs: nursing services, activities, room and board, and routine personal hygiene items. But Medicaid does not pay for other personal items or services, including items that an individual might prefer, such as a favorite book, hobby materials, clothing, and other items that a person deems necessary, meaningful, and therefore intrinsic to their overall well-being.

The PNA is set by state law. Any change must happen in the state budget process by raising the PNA to a livable threshold.

New York’s Long Term Care Ombudsman Program is an advocate for residents of nursing homes and other long-term-care facilities. As a regional Ombudsman coordinator, I’ve heard from countless residents who say what a PNA increase would mean for them: “I could breathe easier,” it would be “a new beginning” and I’d “feel human again.”

Sign our petition, and call the Governor, your State Assembly Member, and your Senator. Urge an increase to the Personal Needs Allowance in this year’s state budget. Visit forms.office.com/g/urMXCZJy42.

Amy Gehrig

Ombudsman

Coordinator for Region 7

Plattsburgh