I hope that the voters in Maine will join me in voting Yes on Question 1 in November. I have first-hand experience taking care of a disabled loved-one, and I know how hard the toll can be on families.

For almost two years, I have been living with and taking care of my best friend. She suffers from hemiplegic migraines, hypothyroidism, chronic back and knee pain, and cannot get around the house very easily. When she was 9 years old, she was run over by a minivan walking back from a bus stop. She suffered a broken arm and damage to her knee. She needs a knee replacement now — there is a huge amount of cartilage missing. I take care of nearly everything around the house.

It took me two months to be certified to be her homecare worker. And at this time, while I do 24-hour-a-day care, seven days a week, I was only approved to do 12 hours. We both are barely scraping by financially.

I want families like mine to be able to care for one another and also have a chance at a living wage. There ought to be a universal homecare program in Maine, as Question 1 proposes, so that all Maine seniors and disabled folks can have help at home, and so that we can take care of our loved ones if we are able and be recognized for the hard work that family caregivers do every day.

Naveed Hemati, Auburn

Copy the Story Link