During the last week of the legislative session in California, both houses of the legislature approved SB 525 (Durazo), a bill that would raise the hourly minimum wage for workers at health care facilities, as defined, to $23 next year, $24 in 2025, and $25 in 2026.

Under the bill, the phased-in minimum wage hike would cover all employees of covered health care facilities, including cleaning and maintenance staff, food service workers, gift shop workers, medical coders, and nursing assistants – although not all would see an immediate raise.

​HCAOA member Legally Nanny, a leading law firm representing home care agencies, nanny agencies and family employers, is celebrating 20 years in business this year. Attorney and former HCAOA Board Member Bob King started the firm as a part-time law practice helping California families hire nannies. Shortly thereafter, people started contacting him seeking help with home care issues, and now the firm represents thousands of home care agencies throughout the U.S. Bob has been quoted in The Wall Street Journal and CNN, interviewed on Entertainment Tonight, and speaks and writes about home care legal issues. We hope you can join him and say hello at his upcoming speech at HCAOA's conference next month. Congratulations Legally Nanny!

The California State Legislature passed a bill (SB 616) that, if signed into law by Gov. Gavin Newsom, would require employers in California to provide workers with five days of sick leave per year, up from the current three days mandated by law. The California Association of Health Facilities (CAHF) opposes the legislation, expressing concerns about the increased costs for skilled nursing facilities (SNFs) and the lack of accompanying funding to cover these expenses. CAHF emphasizes that SNFs largely rely on government payers and fears potential challenges in hiring staff to meet mandatory staffing standards due to ongoing workforce issues. The bill is supported by the California Labor Federation and SEIU California, with proponents arguing that it enables workers to prioritize their health without financial strain, while opponents contend that many small businesses, still recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic, may struggle to afford the additional sick days.

The California Health and Human Services Agency (CalHHS) Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Disorders Advisory Committee has released two fact sheets on dementia and mental health resources, available on the Committee's website. The "Provider Guidance" fact sheet provides information on accessing and providing services for individuals with co-occurring Alzheimer's disease or other forms of dementia and mental health concerns through Medi-Cal, Medicare, and private insurance. The "Consumer Guidance" fact sheet addresses behavioral changes associated with Alzheimer's disease or other forms of dementia and offers guidance on seeking assistance for issues stemming from these behavioral changes. Licensees are encouraged to share these fact sheets with facility staff, individuals in their care, and their representatives.

​All members in California are invited to a virtual meeting with the HCAOA California Chapter on Tuesday, July 18 from 1:00 p.m. - 2:30 p.m. PST. This meeting is free for HCAOA members, and registration is required.

​The Department of Social Services, Community Care Licensing Division has issued PIN 23-13-ASC, which supersedes PIN 23-07-ASC, dated April 6, 2023, and provides information on the end of the vaccination and booster requirement for all workers in Adult and Senior Care (ASC) facilities and the end of the masking requirement in ASC facilities.

Senator Ocha-Bough presented Senate Bill 730, which clarifies existing law relating to the duties of a home care aide, before legislators.

​HCAOA thanks Senator Ocha-Bough for her commitment to home care providers, caregivers, and families.
 

​The Department of Finance has notified California Gov. Gavin Newsom poor economic conditions have necessitated expedited increases to the minimum wage. Changes in the consumer price index (CPI) from July 1, 2021 through June 30, 2022 require the state to bring forward by one calendar year, from 2024 to 2023, the date when the state must annually adjust the minimum wage rate.

​The California Department of Aging (CDA) is designing a statewide training and incentive program called California GROWs (Growing a Resilient and Outstanding Workforce). California GROWs will incentivize, support, and fund career pathways for the direct care home and community-based services (HCBS) workforce. The program seeks to improve the skills, job satisfaction, and retention of the direct care workforce while providing opportunities for advancement.

​On June 8, 2022, the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) issued an order defining “Close Contact” and “Infectious Period” for purposes of the CDPH’s Isolation and Quarantine Guidance issued on April 6, 2022. Because the definitions in the new Order directly affect requirements under the currently effective Third Revised COVID Emergency Temporary Standard, California employers should be aware of this development.

All 58 counties in California are under a state of emergency to due to extreme drought, so the California DSS, Community Care Licensing Division, issued an announcement for all community care licensed providers to prepare for extreme heat, public safety power shut offs, wildfire emergencies, and long-term drought conditions.

Agencies should be prepared, and can refer to Provider Information Notices (PINS) for extreme heat here and long-term drought conditions here for guidance on preparation, or use the Extreme Heat Action Plan as a reference.

On May 7, 2022, Cal/OSHA issued updated Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) to the third readoption of the COVID-19 Emergency Temporary Standard (3rd Revised ETS), which was approved April 21, 2022, and is now in effect. 

The 3rd Revised ETS continues many of the same obligations set out in prior versions, but also sets forth substantive changes about which Cal/OSHA promised to provide guidance. Learn More

California’s Division of Occupational Safety and Health (Cal/OSHA) has approved the third readoption of its COVID-19 Emergency Temporary Standard.

​The revised ETS will become effective when the Office of Administrative Law completes its review and files it with the Secretary of State, which is anticipated to occur this week and will  remain in effect through December 31, 2022. 
 
Learn More

California Assemblymember Blanca Rubio, a Democrat from the San Gabriel Valley, recently introduced AB2175, which would establish a California Wandering Prevention Task Force.

Individuals with a cognitive impairment, including those with Alzheimer’s, related dementias, and autism are at a substantial risk of wandering away from their homes. Ensuring safety for these populations is costly, time consuming, and often results in poor outcomes once they have begun to wander. AB2175 seeks to provide a statewide strategy to help one of California’s most vulnerable populations.
 
The task force would include 20 members. The HCAOA California Chapter is working to ensure it has a seat on the task force so that our voice can be heard on this important issue.

On April 6, 2022, Cal/OSHA issued a draft COVID-19 Emergency Temporary Standard (ETS) for readoption to replace the current version, which expires on May 5, 2022.

This is the fourth version of the ETS since Nov. 30, 2022. The California Occupational and Health Standards Board is scheduled to hear public comment and to vote on whether to approve the readopted ETS on April 21, 2022. If approved, and if left unmodified by executive order, the proposed ETS would be in effect through December 31, 2022.
 
Read more here.