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Judge orders temporary freeze to home care cuts

April 21, 2017

Yesterday,  in response to our lawsuit, DHS agreed to a temporary freeze to ongoing cuts to in-home care services for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

This order isn't a final fix, but it is a positive first step toward ensuring that people with these disabilities are able to live in the community where they want to be.

We will continue to work with DHS to create a long-term plan for assessing needs and providing fair notice to people with disabilities of changes to their services. This temporary halt to cuts will allow services to remain in place as the case moves forward.

Though the case only named five individuals, the order covers everyone who receives in-home care services through the Office of Developmental Disabilities Services across the entire state.

If you are affected by these changes, you don't need to sign up to participate in the lawsuit. 

If your services have been cut, they will be restored to the prior level.

If you have an assessment coming up, you will still have that assessment.

Your services may stay the same or increase based on that assessment, but they cannot decrease. 

Would you like more info? This FAQ answers the most common questions about the judge's order.

We're heartened by this initial progress, and will continue to work toward preserving supports that we know are absolutely vital to ensuring that thousands of Oregonians with disabilities have the opportunity to live a safe, fulfilling, and integrated life.  

For news coverage about this latest development, visit our Newsroom

Want to help spread the word? Submit a letter to editor in response to news stories. Your family's story can illustrate to the broader community the difference that home care services make in the lives of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

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