City To Honor Home Healthcare Workers Sept. 4

Press release from the City of New London:

Sept. 2, 2020

During the pandemic, home care workers have been the unsung heroes in the New London community, caring for those at highest-risk for COVID-19. Home care workers put their heart and soul into their work, which allows seniors and people with disabilities to live with safety and dignity in their own homes. Every day, these essential caregivers--who are predominantly women and people of color--put their own lives and their families’ lives on the line as they help their clients with all the daily activities of living, including grocery shopping, picking up prescriptions, bathing and feeding. There are around 165 home care workers in the New London area.

Now, New London Mayor Michael Passero is declaring that it is finally time for our state and our nation to recognize these dedicated home care workers by celebrating the first-ever national Home Care Day on September 4.

“In the midst of the coronavirus crisis, home care workers have continued to do their jobs, putting themselves and their families at risk,” said Mayor Passero. “Not only are they caring for New London’s seniors and people with disabilities, they’re also supporting their clients’ family members by allowing them to go to work and earn a living. It is imperative that we recognize their central role in caring for our state’s aging population and helping to control the virus. In order to keep experienced caregivers, and attract young people into the field now and into the future, we have to transform home care work into sustainable, union home care jobs.”

Connecticut’s population ranks as the 7th-oldest of any state in the nation and the growing demand for our rapidly aging population has led to home care becoming one of the fastest-growing jobs in America. However, the historic undervaluing of home care work--which is rooted in systemic sexism and racism--has created an extreme workforce shortage. Connecticut’s home care workers are about 80 percent women, 60 percent people of color and 30 percent immigrants.

Non-union home care workers at private agencies in Connecticut often make the state’s minimum wage of just $11 an hour, even though the cost of living has been skyrocketing, and have no paid sick leave, personal protective equipment, health benefits or training opportunities.

Recently, 10,000 personal care attendants who are members of SEIU 1199 New England won a raise to a minimum wage of $16.25 an hour through the state’s Medicaid waiver program. This is a major step forward, but more needs to be done to raise up all our state’s home care workers.

“I love helping people, and I play an invaluable role in the life of my client who has multiple health issues and uses a wheelchair. I pick up his medications, get him dressed, fix his meals and make sure he’s protected from the coronavirus,” said local personal care attendant Carla Arrindell. “Through my union, I recently got a raise which is a big help, but it’s still a daily struggle to keep up with the rising cost of living. I have to work two jobs to make ends meet. It really means a lot to me that Mayor Passero and the people of New London are honoring us on Home Care Day 2020. Once home care workers are fully respected for our work, we can ensure clients will get the care they need, and caregivers like me won’t have to work multiple jobs just to survive.”

This National Home Care Day 2020, home care workers throughout the state and across the nation are calling for affordable, quality home care services for all; family-sustaining wages and benefits for workers including paid sick days, healthcare and training which recognize their expertise on the front lines; personal protective equipment to keep workers and consumers of care safe; accountability for the Department of Health; and the right for all home care workers to join a union.

Connecticut home care workers, nursing home workers and group home workers united in SEIU 1199 New England have also joined with community allies to call for a “Long-Term Care Bill of Rights” to fix systemic problems and make sure the aging population and those with disabilities receive quality care.

“Celebrating Home Care Day is one step in a larger process of raising awareness about how vital home care workers are for our community and our country overall,” said Mayor Passero. “By lifting up these essential care workers, we can ensure a better future for them, their families and those they care for.”

This press release was produced by the City of New London. The views expressed here are the author's own.