BIPARTISAN EFFORT AIMS TO RAISE PAY OF HOME HEALTH CARE AIDES

A bipartisan effort by two Western Pennsylvania lawmakers aims to raise the pay of home care aides. Home care workers allow aging and disabled residents to live independently while assisting with daily needs, such as eating, bathing, and managing medications. A 2022 study in the journal “Health Affairs” finds one in five such workers live below the federal poverty level, with the median wage at just over 14 dollars, 50 cents per hour. A bill in the drafting stages by Representatives Jessica Benham and Jason Ortitay would mandate home care agencies put at least 80 percent of public funding toward worker’s pay.