The IHSS Public Authority:
Improving the Lives of Elderly and Disabled Persons
In Yolo County
By Dave Rosenberg, Yolo County Supervisor, 4th District
Almost 30 years ago, the State of California created a program designed to assist qualified seniors and persons with disabilities avoid premature institutionalization and remain safely in their homes with basic assistance. The In-Home Supportive Services (IHSS) program, established by law in 1973, provides the services of visiting homecare workers who help the elderly and disabled with a variety of domestic, personal care, and paramedical services as an alternative to out-of-home placement (such as nursing homes). Today, California's IHSS program is the largest of its kind in the nation, with a state caseload over 230,000 and growing.
Although there have been many good things about the IHSS program, there
have been aspects that have needed improvement. Counties have always been
responsible for determining who is eligible for IHSS services, but locating
and training homecare providers has been left to the elderly or disabled
client or their families. Payment for services has been left to the State,
and
IHSS workers themselves have been paid only minimum wage with no benefits,
making worker retention a major obstacle for IHSS clients.
The good news is that recent changes in the law have fundamentally changed how the IHSS program will serve recipients and workers. AB 1682, enacted in 1999 and sponsored by then Assemblyman, now Congressman Mike Honda, requires all California counties with 500 IHSS cases or more to act as or establish an "employer-of-record" for IHSS homecare workers by January 2003. We can be proud in Yolo County that during 2001, a dedicated group of IHSS consumers, providers, county staff and representatives of Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Local 250 was quietly at work to comply with AB 1682. After a nine-month process, on November 6, 2001, Yolo County achieved compliance to establish its IHSS "Public Authority," a full-year in advance of the statutory deadline! Nearly all 58 California counties must comply, but Yolo County is one of the first to do so.
So, what exactly is the IHSS "Public Authority"? It establishes, once and for all, a central focus--an "employer-of-record-- for the almost 800 consumers and providers of IHSS services in Yolo County.
The county, through its Department of Employment and Social Services, will always retain its responsibility for eligibility determination for services, but in the near future, the Public Authority will be establishing a county-wide homecare provider registry which will make it much easier for the seniors and persons with disabilities in our community to locate and interview qualified homecare workers. In addition, SEIU Local 250 recently won the right to represent Yolo County homecare workers after a two-year long campaign. Negotiations with this newest union in Yolo County are expected to begin shortly.
Our nation's elderly and disabled populations are growing exponentially. By the year 2020, nearly one in six American residents will be over the age of 65. The Public Authority, in concert with other long-term care services, will be doing its part to help Yolo county residents "age-in-place" with dignity.