With the development of new technology comes new tools—and changes to IHSS. But don’t worry, your union is here to help!
You’ve heard about some of this new technology already—from online timesheets and the new UDW mobile app to the Federally-mandated Electronic Visit Verification (EVV)—and you may be thinking, “am I the only one who’s not thrilled about all this?”
Absolutely not! Many of us don’t like change, particularly when it comes to learning new technology. It can be difficult to adjust to new ways of doing things, especially things we’ve been doing for a long time, like filling out paper timesheets. But when we face our fears and learn how to use new tools and tech, we often change our lives for the better.
And many of the new tools out there for IHSS actually help us save time once we learn how to use them—a big deal for busy caregivers like us.
Here are some of the new tools and tech IHSS providers need to know about:
Electronic Timesheets:
We fought hard for online timesheets for IHSS providers and, since the program was rolled out last year, thousands of us are using it and getting paid faster and avoiding costly timesheet violations. Enrolling in online timesheets and registering an account on the state’s ETS website, www.etimesheets.ihss.ca.gov, is relatively easy—and your local UDW office is happy to help you and your client sign up!
When you fill out your timesheets online, there’s no waiting for it to be mailed. You can also more easily avoid timesheet violations, get paid faster, and easily track the location of your timesheet and paycheck!
Online Direct Deposit:
Once you register an account on the state’s ETS website, you can also sign up for direct deposit online. Direct deposit means your paycheck will never get lost in the mail again, because your IHSS pay will be automatically sent to your bank account electronically. Importantly, you don’t have to be using online timesheets to sign up for direct deposit online.
Electronic Visit Verification:
EVV will require us to electronically track the type of care we provide our clients. Although our union has been successful in helping to delay the implementation of EVV and protect our privacy (the state promises no GPS tracking!), they do plan to eventually implement EVV through their ETS website, with an option to report our hours over the phone, as well. At that time the state plans to get rid of paper timesheets altogether, so it’s good to get in the habit of using the ETS website now.
