This year UDW caregivers have been hard at work in Sacramento to protect our privacy in the implementation of EVV, and get funding for research that will help California better understand how to fix our long-term care system.
On June 27, we were victorious! California Governor Jerry Brown signed a 2018-2019 budget that not only protects our privacy, but also includes significant funding for long-term care research and data collection.
Since we launched the Care Agenda last year, UDW has successfully brought the long-term care crisis into sharper focus for state officials. We have educated them on how the low wages caregivers receive makes it hard to find care for all the seniors and people with disabilities who need it. And how, with the state’s senior population set to skyrocket with the aging of the Baby Boomers, we need real planning and real solutions.
This year we asked the state to fund a comprehensive study of Long Term Services and Supports—the government term for long-term care—so California can begin to build the long-term care workforce we need. Thanks to the efforts of many UDW members, we are happy to report the budget includes $3 million dollars to make long term care planning a much bigger priority in our state!
Another crucial win for caregivers and our clients in the budget was privacy. Many IHSS providers and our clients are concerned about the upcoming federal law mandating EVV, so we were there every step of the way as the state developed their plan to roll out EVV. As a result of our advocacy, the state’s plan for EVV as outlined in the budget is basically an extension of electronic timesheets—with no GPS, real-time check-ins, or detailed task descriptions.
Another win for UDW members is we will now be able to bargain on behalf of Waiver Personal Care Services (WPCS) providers. This means we can extend the benefits of membership to more home care workers. It also means we will be able to build our membership power so we can continue to fight for meaningful change in long-term care for ourselves and the people we care for.
Let’s keep up the good work! Stay updated at www.facebook.com/UDW or call your local office to get involved.
