[The following is a paid advertisement.]

Over 20,000 seniors in Illinois who are eligible for the Community Care Program are going without needed home care because there are simply not enough workers willing to work for the program’s low wages.

“I love what I do. I’m a caregiver by nature and taking care of our seniors is my calling,” said Juandalyn Reese.

Juandalyn, a care worker in Fairview Heights, has spent the last 35 years providing seniors with the kind of hands-on services that make it possible for them to remain in their homes. But home care workers need to cover their own basic expenses in order to survive. “I may have to walk away from doing what I love because I cannot pay my bills. I’ve maxed out on my credit cards just to cover basic necessities and I can’t go on much longer like this.”

“We do important work, but it feels like we’re forgotten,” Juandalyn said.

That’s why we need to pass HB 1330/SB 120 to give home care workers a desperately needed raise and to attract the workers needed to serve all of our seniors who need home care. Our home care workers deserve living wages and our seniors deserve quality care. Care can’t wait!