About Us
Caring Across Maryland is a coalition of workers, care recipients, families, and advocates impacted by our broken long-term care infrastructure. We are fighting to protect quality of care and encourage investment in our direct care workforce.
About Us
The long-term care workforce is comprised primarily of women of color, who keep our seniors and most vulnerable loved ones safe and allow them to live with dignity. But our fragmented care infrastructure and low wages have forced millions to drop out of care work entirely, causing a staffing crisis. This crisis means that disabled individuals and older adults cannot always access the care they need. In Maryland, at least 30,000 people are waiting for home- and community-based care. This also overburdens emergency rooms with unnecessary admissions.
Disabled people and older adults have fought to remain in their homes and communities. While many people prefer to receive long-term care in their homes and communities, home and community-based services are often unaffordable, forcing many into nursing homes. But these nursing homes lack adequate oversight and do not receive proper inspections. Workers do not receive sufficient respect, pay, and benefits.
Why are direct care workers underpaid? Systemic racism and sexism mean that Black and brown women’s labor contributions have been undervalued throughout history. But it doesn’t have to be this way. As Maryland’s over-85 population increases, there’s a growing need for home and community-based services (HCBS). Meeting it over the coming decades will mean creating tens of thousands of jobs. With the proper safeguards, they can be well-paid, retaining existing workers and attracting new ones.
It’s time to urge Maryland’s General Assembly to:
Address the staffing crisis in our nursing homes, hospitals, and home care
Improve job quality for care workers
Increase financial transparency in the long-term care industry
Work to prevent private equity firms from degrading quality of care
Our Values
Choice and Agency
We recognize the fundamental agency of disabled people and older adults. Recipients of care deserve to have their preferences respected. We will work to ensure that the settings people prefer are affordable, accessible, and client-centered.
Dignity
We believe in dignity for care recipients, family caregivers, and care workers. We are fighting against the exploitation of workers, especially those marginalized by race, ability, gender, and immigration status. Everyone who requires care should be able to receive it and to thrive, whether they are living at home or in a skilled nursing facility.
Collaboration
The lives of care recipients, family caregivers, and long-term care workers are interwoven and interdependent. Caring Across Maryland will foster collaboration between recipients of care, their loved ones and direct care workers - and understand that quality care is linked to quality jobs.
Our Priorities
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Protecting quality of care for those who rely on long term care services.
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Ensuring state regulators have transparent data and oversight of long term care facilities and agencies
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Bolstering the direct care workforce through wages, benefits, and workforce development.
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Working with Maryland Medicaid to set just reimbursement rates that include a fair portion to direct care workforce.
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Amplifying the voices of marginalized care recipients and direct care workforce.
Now is the time to invest in our care infrastructure, because care can’t wait. Join the fight.
