Laura Hagerty, LCSW
Social Services Manager
Tu Nidito
PRESS STATEMENT
As a
clinical social worker who has served families that have a child with a serious
medical condition for over 7 years, I have witnessed the impact upon families
when incontinence supplies are not provided through AHCCCS. Many of the
children I have worked with have required incontinence supplies for short
durations such as during times of acute medical crisis or when death is near.
Other children require such supplies on a more on-going basis such as children
with muscular dystrophy, neurological disorders, and brain or spinal tumors.
When
such supplies are not funded through AHCCCS, low income families must rely on
community donations to meet their needs, or do without. Community resources for
such supplies are limited. Our local diaper bank extends assistance to help
meet the needs of some of our families, but their supplies are inadequate and
inconsistent. At Tu Nidito, we consistently report a need for incontinence
supplies and when our wishes are fulfilled, our supplies are exhausted, often
within days, due to the demand for such assistance.
Having
adequate incontinence supplies is vital for the health, well-being and, above all,
dignity of the clients we serve. I strongly believe that such necessary
supplies must be supplied by AHCCCS in order to serve
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The sole mission of Tu Nidito, the Tucson, Arizona 501(c)(3)
non-profit organization, is to provide individual family and group support
through emotional, educational, social and spiritual services to children and
their families as they deal with serious illness and death.
Tu Nidito
(520) 322-9155
Fax: (520) 321-0831
www.tunidito.org
(520) 327-9547 (Voice/TTY) P Fax (520) 884-0992
www.acdl.com P center@acdl.com