Care Comes First is Maryland’s home care community
Home care workers across Maryland are coming together with 1199SEIU, the nation’s largest home care union, to build a better care system.
Through the pandemic, we have sacrificed to keep our clients safe but unlike hospital and nursing home workers who have been called heroes, our contributions have gone unrecognized.
It’s time MD home care workers get the respect we deserve!
Our care system is broken.
Clients can’t get
the care they need.
In-home care is a critical part of our healthcare system. Over 19 million seniors need long term care care - that number is set to nearly double by 2050 - and more and more are choosing to receive care in their homes.
But there is a massive shortage of workers due to low wages and poor benefits, leaving the elderly, disabled, and sick anxious about their future. Low-income clients are especially at risk of not getting the care they need due to cuts of Medicaid reimbursements.
Caregivers can’t
get the stability
they need.
We provide essential healthcare services yet we are not earning enough to support our families, do not receive basic benefits such as health care or paid sick days, and work in isolation with minimal training. Home care workers are struggling just to get by.
The care system needs to change – workers need the power to protect their clients and improve working conditions. That’s why 1199SEIU is bringing together home care workers from across the state to raise standards of care and create better home care jobs. As the largest and strongest organization of healthcare workers in MD, 1199SEIU believes that home care workers deserve the same protections and recognition as hospital and nursing home workers.
To ensure home care services are of the highest quality, we need to build a strong support system for caregivers and clients, including better pay & benefits, better training opportunities, and clear career pathways.