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Caregivers Praise Senate For Leadership To Protect Seniors & People With Disabilities

Saturday, February 27

David Rolf, President, SEIU Healthcare 775NWSEIU Healthcare 775NW, which represents almost 40,000 long-term care workers throughout Washington State, praised Senate Democrats today for showing leadership to protect quality care for seniors and people with disabilities. The Senate Ways and Means Committee adopted amendments to its proposed budget restoring funding for critical home care and adult day health services for vulnerable residents.

“Senate Democrats showed real leadership today in protecting quality care for the most vulnerable,” said SEIU Healthcare 775NW President David Rolf. “Their actions will help tens of thousands of seniors, people with disabilities, and their low-wage caregivers.”

Senate Democrats amended the budget to:

  • Protect 1400 home care clients from losing services entirely due to Medicaid Personal Care eligibility cuts;
  • Eliminate another overall cut to home care hours for vulnerable clients
  • Keep the doors to adult day health open for vulnerable seniors and people with disabilities.


Unfortunately, Senate budget still includes deep cuts to nursing homes and home care agencies, and the House proposed budget still slashes hours of care for 9000 vulnerable home care clients and locks the doors to adult day health. These cuts can all be prevented by drawing down additional federal funds through the nursing home Quality Assurance Fee and a provider tax on home care and adult day health providers.