
"My name is Francis Rivera. I am thankful that Olga has been able to help me with my daily needs for the past three years. If she couldn't provide care, I'd need an organized way to find someone I was compatible with, and competitive wages, so attendants would stay longer. That is why I support building the Consumer Workforce Council."
Francis Rivera and Olga Fuentes
Philadelphia, PA
A Consumer Workforce Council will expand home care options for seniors and people with disabilities -- while improving wages and providing health benefits for the direct care attendants who serve them.
Tell our Legislators and Governor Rendell: It's Time for the Consumer Workforce Council!
3 out of 4 Pennsylvania seniors would prefer to receive their care in their own homes instead of a nursing home. Yet, 7 out of 10 of those seniors are cared for in nursing homes because home care isn't a viable option in our state.
The My Life, My Choice campaign is a grassroots effort to guarantee seniors can make the choice to stay at home while receiving the quality care they need in their later years.
It's time for home care -- and we need a reliable workforce to get it. My Life, My Choice is working to establish a state solution for quality home care in Pennsylvania -- one that would create a registry of thousands of home care workers so seniors can easily find a worker that meets their individual needs.
Bringing together home care workers through a state program, like a commission, would also give them the opportunity to access training opportunities and jointly lobby for higher wages and benefits to reduce the high turnover in the workforce.
The My Life, My Choice campaign is endorsed by a number of Pennsylvania senior advocacy organizations and many other groups. A current list of endorsers is available here.