Action | Electronic Visit Verification |
Stage | Proposed |
Comment Period | Ended on 3/21/2020 |
There should be a day once a year set aside for commemorating live-in caregivers. Live ins are family caregivers and those who have provided their homes to persons with disabilities making one of the ultimate sacrifices. There are no paid holidays. Their job is not 9 to 5. It is 24 hours availability 7 days a week. There is no salary: $9 an hour (out of that $9 an hour comes all transportation for the person with disabilities as well). They are not paid anywhere near the hours they work. There are no sick days. They work while sick. There is no job security. There is no pay security. The many different agencies tied into their pay (Community Services board, Service facilitators, employer of record, dept. of social services, dept. of medical assistance services, or the fiscal agent) can neglect a simple step and they lose pay and spend hours correcting other's errors. There is no healthcare. There are no bonuses. There are no benefits. Now, instead of posting their hours every two weeks, they must post at least twice daily at arbitrary times (although they work 24 hours) to a very difficult system that will be GPS'ing them like criminals. This is after they go through extensive background checks. Why would the state force evv on live-ins when the federal government recognizes live-ins as the exception and exempts live-ins because they do not "visit" and provide 24 hours care? Because the six figured, salaried state staff with "abled" families making the rules could care less what a live in goes through in one day. Maybe having a day set aside once a year will make everyone remember these unsung heroes.