ITHACA, NY (607NewsNow) – Advocates want to help older adults in nursing facilities and people with disabilities.

Provided through the Tompkins County Office for the Aging, the local NYS State Long Term Care Ombudsman Program is calling on state lawmakers to increase the $50 Personal Needs Allowance (PNA) for residents whose nursing home stay is paid by Medicaid.

The current amount hasn’t been raised since 1988, which would be equivalent to over $140 today.

The money is a small portion of the residents’ income that can be used for items not covered by Medicaid, including clothing, toiletries, cell phone service, and more.

A petition is circulating asking to increase the PNA and include annual inflation adjustments in the upcoming budget cycle. You can sign here.