Los Angeles is in the midst of a crisis. We have an aging population that increasingly relies on in-home support to age in their homes with dignity. Yet, as the county presented its latest budget, it left out the very people who make this care possible: In-Home Supportive Services (IHSS) providers. These are the frontline workers, overwhelmingly women of color, who are the backbone of our long-term care system. Ignoring their needs in the budget is not just a missed opportunity, it’s a moral failure.
Every day, over 240,000 IHSS providers in Los Angeles County deliver essential care to seniors and children and adults with disabilities. These care providers keep families together, prevent costly institutional care, and allow people to stay with dignity in their homes, where they feel safe, comfortable, loved and receive quality care. Yet these providers are now the largest low-wage workforce in the County—and they are being left behind, struggling to survive on poverty wages while providing life-sustaining care.
Read more at Los Angeles Sentinel