ANNAPOLIS, Md. — The people who take care of the sick, elderly and disabled are asking for someone to help them for a change.
"We are overworked, understaffed, underpaid including being at risk for COVID-19," said Kirstal Kennedy, geriatric nursing assistant.
Caring Across Maryland along with several lawmakers are pushing a package of bills to improve pay and staffing.
A major issue --staff shortages.
"At the nursing home the staffing levels are inaccurate. Some nights there will be only two CNA's trying to provide care of 40 patients. With major personal needs, we try our best but we can't do everything these older patients need and deserve," Cynthia Neely, HomeCare aide, said.
Two of the bills pass Medicaid reimbursements on to workers to increase pay and set a wage minimum for HomeCare workers.
"It's time for our nursing facilities to provide good staffing so we can provide good care to our patients around the clock," Terri White, HomeCare aide, said.
One of the bills makes sure employers classify these workers as employees, not independent contractors.
That would give them the benefits of full time employees like time off.
"Management, we don't really have management there to give us not only the support but the necessities to take care of our residents and make sure we would give the same care that we would give to our own personal loved ones," Kennedy said.
This collection of bills aims to improve health care worker conditions.
The bills work together to close loopholes needed to make a change.
