LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — On Tuesday, Lake County’s In-Home Supportive Services, or IHSS, workers, members of SEIU Local 2015, returned to the Board of Supervisors meeting to urge elected officials to invest in long-term care.

Recent polling reveals low wages for Lake home care workers prevent them from paying for housing, feeding their families and accessing medical care:

• 86% of Lake’s IHSS providers work multiple jobs — at least some of the time — just to make ends meet.
• 65% of Lake’s IHSS workers have difficulty paying their rent or mortgage each month, reporting that they are sometimes or always late with their payments. Additionally, 52% of respondents spend at least 50% of their income on housing.
• 53% of Lake’s IHSS workers experience consistent food insecurity, relying on CalFresh and/or food banks at least monthly.
• 51% of Lake’s IHSS workers are sometimes or often unable to access medication — and 52% are sometimes or often prevented from visiting the doctor — due to concerns about cost.
• 90% sometimes or always miss regular car maintenance because it’s too expensive.

Lesia Turner, a Lake County IHSS provider for 15 years, told the board that she and other care workers in Lake constantly face financial challenges due to IHSS wages that don’t meet everyday expenses.

“As the price of everything continues to increase, we find it harder to keep our heads above water,” she said. “Do we make a partial payment on PG&E or partial payment on the water bill?”

Lake County IHSS workers are currently negotiating a new contract with county officials, as their previous contract expired at the end of 2023.

More than 2,400 Lake County IHSS workers provide essential long-term care — including paramedical, personal care and household services — to seniors and people with disabilities. 

The IHSS program ensures people have the freedom to receive long-term care in the setting of their choice by enabling them to remain in their homes instead of moving to an institutional setting.

Despite this essential role, Lake County is experiencing a caregiver shortage that will only worsen as the population ages.

Last year, more than 385,000 authorized IHSS care hours went unused in the county, nearly 10% of the total and more than double the percentage of unused authorized hours statewide. These unfulfilled hours suggest individuals are not receiving the care they need and qualify for.

Additionally, wages and benefits that fail to meet the needs of families are driving IHSS workers out of the caregiving profession. 

The current Lake County IHSS wage is $17.15 an hour, only $0.65 above California’s minimum wage, and far below the MIT living wage threshold of $22.83 an hour for a single individual with no children.

“If I didn’t have my Social Security,” Lake provider Frances Ford told the Board, “there’s no way I could pay my bills on time.”

She added, “A strong contract would ensure that this program can hold onto quality providers and give vulnerable people in Lake the care they need.”

The population of older adults is growing in Lake and across California, increasing the demand for in-home care. 

IHSS providers are especially critical in rural areas of Lake County, serving as vital links for the disability and senior community and offering essential care to those who do not have easy, affordable access to medical centers or specialized services.

“Lake County needs to start investing in care before more providers leave the industry which will worsen the current care crisis,” said SEIU Local 2015 President Arnulfo De La Cruz. “Care workers are essential and they need to be valued in order to safeguard the well-being of seniors and people with disabilities in Lake County.” 

SEIU Local 2015 said it is committed to advancing policies that improve the lives of long-term care workers and those they care for. The union’s bargaining team encourages the Board of Supervisors to collaborate to address these pressing issues and ensure that Lake’s long-term care system is prepared to support the county’s future.