Vancouver resident Vicki Bickford expresses her appreciation for the WA Cares program

Editor’s note: Opinions expressed in this letter to the editor are those of the author alone and do not reflect the editorial position of ClarkCountyToday.com.

I’ve always been a caregiver. As a single mom raising three boys, I had the sole responsibility of caring for them when they were little. We think about caring for children a lot. But what happens when the day comes that we ourselves need care?

Eventually it’s bound to happen to all of us if we live long enough. As a home care aide, I’ve cared for people with cancer, Alzheimer’s, and people with disabilities. Now I’m getting close to retirement. I have aggressive arthritis and I struggle to do many things I used to take for granted like walking up the stairs. I know that with age this will only get worse and someday I will need help with daily tasks like grocery shopping, bathing, and moving around the house.

That’s why I’m thankful that we have three wonderful state legislators – Senator Annette Cleveland and Representatives Sharon Wylie and Monica Jurado Stonier who support the WA Cares program. Because of this program I will be able to pay a home care aide to help me when the time comes and replace my stairs with a ramp. WA Cares will give me the freedom to age with dignity in my own home.

Vicki Bickford
Vancouver

---

Also read:

• 
  Letter: ‘HSD needs to give a detailed line-item accounting of where the last levy went, and of how they plan to use this one’
  Randall Schultz-Rathbun urges Hockinson School District to provide detailed, transparent accounting of past and proposed levy spending before asking voters for additional funds.
• 
  Letter: Interstate Bridge Replacement’s Park & Ride insanity
  Bob Ortblad criticizes the Interstate Bridge Replacement Program’s proposed Park & Ride garages, arguing the costs are excessive and unlikely to receive federal funding.
• 
  Opinion: Vancouver councilors responsible for stoking irrational fears in the community
  Clark County Today Editor Ken Vance sharply criticizes a Vancouver City Council declaration on immigration enforcement, arguing it fuels fear, undermines law enforcement, and lacks supporting evidence.
• 
  Opinion: Washington should stop shielding domestic abusers and sexual offenders from deportation
  Vancouver attorney Angus Lee argues Washington law improperly shields convicted domestic abusers, sexual offenders, and drunk drivers from deportation and urges lawmakers to change it.
• 
  Opinion: Who is leaving Washington and why the politicians need to care
  Mark Harmsworth argues Washington is losing higher-income taxpayers and business owners, warning that rising taxes and regulation threaten long-term economic stability.