1199SEIU Launches Website As First Step in Statewide Home Care Campaign
(Albany, NY) 1199SEIU United Healthcare Workers East launched the HomeCareCrisis.org website today as the first step in a public relations and advocacy campaign to reform the home care industry. The launch coincides with the annual Albany conference of the New York Association of Health Care Providers, a homecare industry group. A mobile billboard will be circling the conference site at the Crown Plaza in Albany throughout the week and homecare advocates are handing out whistles that read: “Be a Whistleblower,” encouraging conference attendees to speak out about fraud and abuse in the homecare industry.
The campaign intends to shine light on the economics of the homecare industry. Billions of taxpayer dollars go into paying for homecare in the state of New York but only a fraction of that money ends up in the hands of caregivers. Medicaid pays about $19 per hour for homecare services, but hardworking caregivers often receive as little as $7.50 per hour and many receive no affordable healthcare benefits or paid time off.
"We’re not asking for much, we just want our fair share,” said Martina Espinal, a homecare worker for 12 years at Better Home Healthcare. “Imagine trying to pay for bus fare, utilities and health insurance out of pocket on $7.50 per hour. We want what’s best for our clients. In order to provide the best care, we need decent wages, paid sick days and affordable healthcare.”
“It’s unfair that I make as little money as the kids who get hired to work at McDonald’s as a summer job,” said Kathy Gerrity, a homecare worker for the past 4 years who is also a Certified Nurse’s Aide. I’m 56 years old and I do this work because I care. It comes from my heart.”
"We need to take immediate action to solve the homecare crisis in New York,” said George Gresham, President of 1199 SEIU. “This is an industry that will only continue to grow as the demand for services increases from an ever expanding aging population. Without reform, there will never be any real transparency or accountability in the homecare industry. Taxpayer money will continue to be wasted while hard-working caregivers are kept in the ranks of the working poor. Reforming the industry will raise standards for homecare workers and it will improve the quality of care for homecare clients.”
Shadowy subcontracting practices in the homecare industry not only waste resources, but also make it impossible for clients and their families to know who is really providing their care. Some agency owners have made millions of dollars in profits, yet homecare workers, who spend their lives caring for seniors and people with disabilities, struggle to survive on poverty wages. This leads to high worker turnover, which can compromise the quality of care.
"This campaign is about fixing our broken homecare system and it is long overdue,” said Aida Garcia, Executive Vice President of the 1199 Homecare Division. “Homecare clients deserve the best possible care and the workers who provide that care shouldn't have to struggle in poverty, earning as little as $7.50 per hour while the agencies take millions of dollars out of the system in profits and administrative fees.”