IHSS providers tell supervisors low pay and unpaid live‑in hours threaten caregiving and retention
July 29, 2025 | Shasta County, California
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Several IHSS home‑care providers and a member of the SEIU bargaining team urged the Shasta County Board of Supervisors on July 29 to improve wages and support for in‑home supportive services (IHSS) providers, saying current pay and unpaid live‑in expectations are driving experienced caregivers away.
Madeline Clark described the mental and emotional strain on live‑in providers, noting protective supervision can require 24‑hour oversight while IHSS often provides limited paid hours. Rebecca Howe, an IHSS provider and SEIU bargaining team member, said the requested wage increases are “totally doable” within county finances and argued that keeping people in their homes saves county funds compared with nursing‑home placements. Other commenters described personal hardship, including one provider who said she would have earned more at a fast‑food job than caring full time for her mother.
Why it matters: IHSS supports aging and disabled residents who receive care in their homes; low pay for providers can reduce the pool of caregivers and lead to more expensive institutional care.
What the board heard: Multiple speakers urged the supervisors to consider wage increases and program investments to retain caregivers and ensure continuity of care; one commenter described live‑in contractual requirements and “730 hours in a month that they are contractually required to be there in the home” as contributing to provider fatigue and burnout.
Ending: The board received the comments during the public comment period; no formal action on IHSS funding or wage changes was taken at the meeting.
Madeline Clark described the mental and emotional strain on live‑in providers, noting protective supervision can require 24‑hour oversight while IHSS often provides limited paid hours. Rebecca Howe, an IHSS provider and SEIU bargaining team member, said the requested wage increases are “totally doable” within county finances and argued that keeping people in their homes saves county funds compared with nursing‑home placements. Other commenters described personal hardship, including one provider who said she would have earned more at a fast‑food job than caring full time for her mother.
Why it matters: IHSS supports aging and disabled residents who receive care in their homes; low pay for providers can reduce the pool of caregivers and lead to more expensive institutional care.
What the board heard: Multiple speakers urged the supervisors to consider wage increases and program investments to retain caregivers and ensure continuity of care; one commenter described live‑in contractual requirements and “730 hours in a month that they are contractually required to be there in the home” as contributing to provider fatigue and burnout.
Ending: The board received the comments during the public comment period; no formal action on IHSS funding or wage changes was taken at the meeting.
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