Doctor placing money in his pocket

A bipartisan group of New York legislators and local officials spent their holiday break lobbying for higher wages for home care workers in that state. 

The nine-member team, which included State Sen. Rob Rolinson and State Sen. James Skoufis fanned out across the state last week to promote the Fair Pay for Home Care bill which would raise the wages of home care workers to 150% of the minimum wage. 

“Our care economy is in crisis, and workers need to receive a competitive, livable wage if we’re going to have any shot at retaining and attracting new staff,” Skoufis told McKnight’s Home Care Daily Pulse in an email. 

Both the New York State Senate and Assembly  introduced the Fair Pay for Home Care bill early last year, but Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) disappointed the home care industry when she left it out of the state’s fiscal budget last spring. However, the $220 billion budget did include 1.2 billion in bonuses for frontline healthcare workers and a $3 hourly wage bump for home health aides. Skoufis said the $3 hourly wage increase was a win for caregivers but failed to “close the substantial wage gaps” that home workers face.

A recent report by the consulting firm Mercer found New York state has the worst caregiver shortage in the nation and would need more than 80,000 direct care workers within the next few years. Another study by PHI National estimated 40% of the state’s 450,000 home care workers live below the poverty line. 

Despite the robust demand for home care workers, Fair Pay for Home Care could face an uphill battle in Albany. The governor recently pointed out that New York State’s budget could be tighter this year due to a possible economic slowdown and a discontinuation of federal stimulus dollars to battle the COVID-19 pandemic.