AB 322, the Home Care Services Act of 2013, authored by Assemblymember Mariko Yamada (D-Davis), passed the Assembly Committee on Human Services on Tuesday. This bill would establish oversight and consumer safeguards for the currently unregulated private home care industry.
“California is aging, and is already home to the largest population of dependent adults in the nation,” stated Assemblymember Yamada, Chair of the Aging and Long-Term Care Committee. “The homecare industry has expanded significantly over the last few decades – to about 1,700 agencies statewide – yet it still lacks clear standards for training and background checks for the agency-based caregivers serving this vulnerable population.”
Home care providers perform basic non-medical living assistance, such as cooking, cleaning, dressing, feeding, and support for other regular daily needs. AB 322 authorizes the California Department of Social Services to license and regulate private home care agencies, including requiring minimum training standards and provider background checks. Currently, the only requirement to establish a homecare agency in California is a business license. With almost 140,000 agency-based homecare aides in California, the industry recognizes the need for statewide standards and regulations to protect consumers and their families.
“We are the gatekeepers to care for seniors,” said Brittnei Salerno, the President and CEO of La Jolla Nurses, a homecare agency in San Diego. “We need the tools contained in this bill to keep our seniors safe.”
The bill has received broad support from both consumer and home care industry groups, including California Advocates for Nursing Home Reform, the California Association for Health Services at Home, the California Commission on Aging, and Homecare California.
“Homecare in California has been described as the ‘Wild, Wild West’,” said Lauren Rolfe, a Member of the California Senior Legislature. “We need some sort of check, some sort of regulation for the industry.”
The bill now heads to the Assembly Appropriations Committee.
LeadingAge California also supported this measure and will continue to advocate for its advancement though the legislative process. For complete bill history, click here.
