1. Provide the title of your story or series and the names of the journalists involved.
This series focuses on a specific program, the Statewide Respite Care program in Connecticut for the national Web site OurParents.com. It documents the challenges of keeping a program vital to Connecticut residents with Alzheimer's, dementia-related illnesses and their caregivers from being a casualty of the financial crisis. Although the reporting was done by me (James Zipadelli) I would like to thank OurParents.com for providing a platform for me to continue this important work.
2. List date(s) this work was published or aired.
"DSS Statewide Respite Care Program Affected By Connecticut Budget Deficit" was published on OurParents.com on February 4, 2010. "Local Resident Hopes to Help Others Understand, Cope with Alzheimer's" was published February 5, 2010. "Bill Directing DSS To Open Respite Care Program to New Patients Clears Hurdle" was published March 3, 2010. "Bill for respite care passes committee with a catch" was published March 5, 2010.
3. Provide a brief synopsis of the story or stories, including any significant findings.
Connecticut's statewide respite care program was established in 1989 for patients with Alzheimer's, dementia-related disorders and their caregivers. The thinking was that caregivers could care for their loved ones at home instead of a nursing facility and save money in the process, while their loved ones could remain at home and retain their independence. In an assessment by the Center on Aging at the University of Connecticut in 2007, the estimated cost for an individual in a nursing facility, on average, was $119,000 per year; by contrast, a live-in home companion will cost around $70,000. Since Connecticut has a budget shortfall like most states, the cost of living for our elderly population is going to be a big issue in coming fiscal years. In April 2009, Connecticut's General Assembly unanimously passed an extension of this program and Gov. Rell signed it in May 2009. Caregivers received a yearly allowance of $3,500 for their loved ones under the old law for basic necessities such as food. The extension would have boosted that figure to $7,500 if the caregiver could demonstrate "additional need for services." What caregivers didn't know was that the program had been closed to new people with these illnesses two weeks before Rell signed the bill and would be closed for the remainder of 2010 because of the budget shortfall. More importantly, DSS quietly required that people who had been screened and in the system receive a maximum of $3,500. This series documents the struggle to balance the budget while maintaining an important social program for Connecticut residents. James Zipadelli was the primary reporter on this series for the national Web site OurParents.com. No attempt was made to influence these stories in any way by OurParents.com.
4. Explain types of documents, data or Internet resources used. Were FOI or public records act requests required? How did this affect the work?
I used memos given to me by DSS staff, state laws, reports and conducted interviews with supporters of the program, DSS, elections officials and caregivers who had been through the program. I did not need to file any FOI requests, although it took a few weeks for officials to give me the information I needed. It was easy to update the stories on OurParents.com once I received a new piece of information.
5. Explain types of human sources used.
The human sources I used were politicians (such as state Sen. Edith Prague D-Columbia, who drafted a bill to re-open the program); interest groups (such as Laurie Julian, public policy director for the Alzheimer's Association CT chapter) doctors who performed the long-term care assessment, officials from the Department of Social Services (like David Dearborn) and a caregiver that went through DSS. The story on the assessment is on my Web site, www.jameszipadelli.com. ("Options for Long-Term Care Are Complex, Lack Accessibility" – published Jan. 12, 2010)
6. Results (if any).
State Sen. Prague introduced a bill, HB 5111, in Feb. 2010 that would have re-opened the program to new patients. It was referred to the Appropriations Committee for consideration in March 2010 and a substitute bill passed in April 2010. Gov. Rell wanted to deduct $1 million from the program, but the Legislature rejected that, and funded the respite program at the same level. ($2.3 million).
7. Follow-up (if any). Have you run a correction or clarification on the report or has anyone come forward to challenge its accuracy? If so, please explain.
Nobody has come forward to challenge the accuracy of my stories. In fact, I've received a very positive response.
8. Advice to other journalists planning a similar story or project.
Make sure you put the correct time and effort into a project like this. It takes time to really put together all the pieces of a story. Make sure you have an editor that is willing to let you pursue these topics.