Senior care initiative supporters visit Yakima

Supporters of an initiative to raise the training requirements for home health care workers said Thursday the measure is worth the estimated $25 million it would cost the state to implement over the next two-year budget.

"Quality costs," said Nancy Dapper, executive director of the Alzheimer's Association of Western & Central Washington. "I think the costs are reasonable."

Dapper spoke Thursday at a news conference held at the Harman Center by the largely union-funded campaign for Safe, Quality Care for Seniors.

Initiative 1029 needs 224,880 signatures by next week to make the ballot, but campaign manager Jeff Parsons declined to say how many have been collected so far.

The Service Employees International Union has contributed $300,000 to the I-1029 campaign. Opponents, represented by the Community Care Coalition of Washington, a group of home-care companies in Seattle and Spokane, have raised $6,000.

Currently, there are no minimum hours of required training for private-duty, home-care workers. Aides who contract with the state to provide home care to Medicaid recipients receive 34 hours of training.

The initiative would raise the required hours of training for both groups of employees to 75. While the state would pay for its contracted workers under Medicaid, private-duty companies would pay out of pocket, force their employees to pick up the bill or pass the cost onto customers.

FBI background checks on state and private-duty aides would be required under the measure. Currently all aides -- state or private -- must pass a background check by the Washington State Patrol. Initiative supporters say the FBI checks are more thorough.

Employees and companies affected by the initiative would include assisted-living centers and adult-family homes but not nursing homes, where aides complete separate certification requirements and are supervised by registered nurses.

Private-duty companies say the initiative would create a shortage of home-care workers by driving up the cost of business.

"There are a lot of small employers in this industry and those folks don't have the financial resources to cover the cost of training. They may be faced with closing their doors," said Ron Bode, president of the Washington Private Duty Association in Seattle.

Bode said no private companies in Yakima are active against the initiative.

Cyndi Mullenhoff, owner of Avail Home Health in Yakima, said she's concerned about the cost to the state, which is facing a projected $2.5 billion shortfall. But she said it's hard to oppose more training.

"We are pro-education. I don't think it would affect us negatively," Mullenhoff said.

* Leah Beth Ward can be reached at 577-7626 or lward@yakimaherald.com.