Montana Caregivers Matter - Support HB 632

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Mont anaLegi sl at or s, W ewi l lal lt al kaboutwhatwel i vedt hr oughi n2020and2021f ort he r estofourl i ves.I twasayearofi ncr edi bl ehear t acheandl ossand sadnessandl onel i ness.Andst i l l. . .Car egi ver sneverqui t .Noteven dur i ngapandemi c.Now,weneedyourhel p.Donotf or getaboutus.

Suppor tHB632 Mont anacar egi ver sandourcl i ent sneed: -Pr ovi derRat eI ncr eases -Car egi verWageI ncr eases -Essent i alWor kerBonuses/ Ret ent i onI ncr eases


Ineedyout ofightf orourcl i ent ssot heyhavet hehour s f ort hei rcar eandIcankeepmyj obandar oofovermyhead. Youhavet heoppor t uni t yt ochangemyf ami l y’ sand mycl i ent s’l i vesf ort hebet t er .Pl easedot hat . W e’ vecomet oof ar .W e’ veshownupever yday. Keptour sel vesandourcl i ent ssaf e.W e’ ve sur vi vedt hepandemi c.W eneedt he essent i alwor kerbonuses,pr ovi derr at e i ncr easesandot heri mpr ovement syou havet hepowert of und. Youcanmakeourl i vesbet t erand dosomuchmor et hanj ustcl ap. Youcanact . Donotf or getaboutus. Del phi neCamar i l l o Bi l l i ngs,MT


Mynamei sW i nni eSchaf er .Il i vei nW ol fPoi ntMT,andIam a memberoft heSi ouxt r i be.I ’ m al soahomecar ewor keranda pr oudmemberofmyuni on. Ihavecar edf ormydaught er ,Mi ndy,si nce2008.Shewasbor n wi t hacondi t i oncal l edSpi nobi fida.Shehasnof eel i ngf r om t he wai stdownandhast ol i veherl i f ei nawheel chai r .Sheneedst ot al , ar oundt hecl ockcar e,andwi l lf ort her estofherl i f e.Igetpai d30 hour saweekbyt hest at e.ButIwoul ddoi tr egar dl essoft hepay. She’ smydaught er ,Il oveher . That ’ st hat . Thepandemi chasbeen i ncr edi bl yst r essf ulf ormyf ami l y. Myhusbandl osthi sj obbecause oft hepandemi c,andr i ghtnow I ’ mt heonl yonewor ki ngi nt he househol d.He’ sl ooki ngf ora j obbuti t ’ sasmal lcommuni t y andj obsar escar ce.I ’ m gr at ef ult ohaveapaycheck, but30hour saweekdoesn’ t cuti t .


Al lcar egi ver swoul dnotbe doi ngt hi si ft heydi dn’ tl ovet hei rj obs. Idot hi sbecauseIl ove mydaught er ,Il ovemy j ob,andIl ovemyUni on. W eneedanddeser ve yoursuppor t t hr oughpr ovi derr at e i ncr eases,hi ghercar egi ver wages,essent i alwor ker bonuses,andr et ent i on bonuses.




Mostofourcl i ent sar epoorandwoul dbeont hest r eeti fi t wer en’ tf orst at ef undi ng.Somuchofourwagesandbenefit sas car egi ver sal sor el yont hosedol l ar s. I n201 7,wef acedsever ecut st oourf undi ng,andwej ustgot t hatf undi ngbacki n201 9.Thencamet hepandemi c.W ewor khar d andl i vesi mpl y.Noonebecomesacar egi ver t ogetr i ch.W edoi tf orourcl i ent s. Youhavet hechancenow t ousef undi ng f ormuchneededt hi ngs-t hi ngsl i ke car egi verwagei ncr eases,pr ovi derr at e i ncr eases,essent i alwor kerbonuses, andr et ent i oni ncr eases. W eneedyoursuppor t .W e deser veyoursuppor t .W ehave ear nedyoursuppor t . Cel est eThompson Mi ssoul a,MT


Ineedyout or ememberme, ot herMont anacar egi ver s,andour cl i ent swhenyoumakedeci si ons. Longt er m car e i nt hi sst at ehasbeenunder f unded f oryear s–W eneedyourhel pt o cat chup. Andweneedt hathel pnow. W eneedyout osuppor t pr ovi derr at ei ncr eases,di r ect car egi verwagei ncr eases, andessent i alwor ker bonuses/ r et ent i onbonuses i nHB632. Youcl appedf oral lofus, butnow weneedyout oact . Donotf or getus. Wi nt erMaul di ng But t e,MT


I ’ m ahomecar ewor ker .Iwor kan aver ageof4050hour saweek,car ef or 1 1cl i ent sandhavebeendoi ngt hi swor k f orcl oset o3decades. Asaf r ont l i newor kerwor ki ngt hr ough t hepandemi chasbeenst r essf ulf orus andourcl i ent s.Theyar ebor edoutof t hei rmi ndsanddon’ tunder st andwhy t heycan’ tj ustgot ot hest or eort he par kl i keweusedt o.Ihavebeenso af r ai dofgoi ngt ot hest or eand cat chi ngt hevi r us.Asacancer sur vi vorIam ver ymuchatr i sk.Imask up,gl oveup,usepl ent yofsani t i zerand pr ayt hati t senough. 2020wasar oughyear .W eneedr eal l eader st hatwi l lfightf orourseni or s anddi sabl edMont anans.Bet hose l eader s. Lor iSwar t z Mi ssoul a,MT


Iam acar egi verf r om Li bbyMont ana. Iam 1 9year sol d,andI ’ veonl ybeen doi ngt hi sj obf orayear .Theot her dayIgavemy2weeksnot i ce.Iwant t ot el lyouwhyI ’ ml eavi ngaj obt hat Il ove. It hi nkIwi l lal waysbeacar egi veri n someway,butIcan’ taf f or dt okeep doi ngt hi sj ob.Ican’ tdealwi t ht he st r essandpai n,andhavet owor r y aboutnotbei ngabl et opaymybi l l s. Ourcl i ent sdon’ tgett hecar et hey needduet ol ackoff undi ngf r om t he st at e.I fwecar esomuchaboutt he el der l yt heyneedt obet akencar eof . I fyouwantt ofixt hi ssyst em weneed yourhel p.Andwecan’ tdoi twi t hout money.I fyour eal l ycar eaboutour seni or s,i ncr easet hepayf orour agenci es. Mol l yHughes Li bby,MT


Thr oughoutt hepandemi c,i t hasbeenr ef er r edt obymany names. Hazar dpay.Appr eci at i onpay. Essent i alwor kerbonuses. W hat everi t ’ scal l ed. . . Car egi ver shavepr ovent heyar e amongt hemostessent i al ofal lwor ker s,ever ydaybef or e t hepandemi candever yday si nce. W eneedanddeser vet omake mor e.Andweneedyout omake t hathappen.


Thepandemi chasbeenhardonal otofcaregi vers. W eari ngamaskandhavi ngtosoci aldi stancei sa pai n,buti t’ sthei mpacttoourschedul esthathas Il i vei nMi ssoul a.I ’ vebeen beenthebi ggestprobl em.Ourhoursareal lover acaregi veroffandonsi nce2006. thepl aceanyways.Oneweekyou’ reup,thenext Iam 62yearsol d,andnowhere youaredown.I tmakesi thardtomai ntai nenough cl osetoreti rement. hourstokeepmyhealthi nsuranceorstayontop W orki ngi nthepandemi ci s ofmybi l l s.Unl i kepeopl ewhoworki nanoffice, scary.I t’ sfri ghteni ngtogoi nto caregi verscan’ tj ustworkfrom home.Ourcl i ents acl i ent’ shomewhomayhave can’ taffordtohavethei rgroceri esdel i veredto COVI D andnotevenknow i t. them.W esti l lhavetogoouti nthecommuni ty. W ehavetowearmasksand W edon’ thaveachoi ce. fol l ow safetyprecauti ons, TheresaTool buttheydon’ t. Bozeman PattySmi th,Mi ssoul a Overthel astyear,conti nui ngtoworkthroughthepandemi chasbeenanexperi ence Ihadhopedtoneverhaveasacaregi ver.Myj obi sal waysstressful ,sure. Ioftenwork70-80hourseveryweek,notonl ybecauseIcaresomuchaboutmycl i ents, butal soj usttotrytomakeal i vi ng.Caregi versnevermakeenough.Especi al l y wi ththei mportant,compl exandchal l engi ngworkwedo.Thati sal waystrue.Thattruth hasneverbeenmoreobvi ousthanduri ngthepandemi c.Evenso, weal lj ustkeepshowi ngup.Everyday.Nomatterwhat. Wi nterMaul di ng,Butte


I ’ vebeenahomecar ewor kerf oral most1 3year s.Iwor kf ul l t i met aki ngcar e of4cl i ent s.Asacar egi verI ’ mr esponsi bl ef ormycl i ent s’heal t handgener al wel lbei ng.Thatmeansmaki ngsur et heyar ecl eananddr essedi nt he mor ni ng,cooki ngt hei rmeal sandcl eani ngt hei rhomes,j ustt onameaf ew oft hedai l yt asks. TheCOVI D1 9pandemi chasmadeourwor kmor edi f ficul ti nsever always. W ear en’ tabl et ogetourcl i ent soutoft hehouse,andkeepi ngt hem ment al l y heal t hyhasbeenar ealchal l enge.I ’ veseenal otofdecl i nei nmycl i ent s’ physi calheal t haswel l–t heyhavemor eheal t hi ssuesandf al lmor ef r equent l y, becauset heyar emor esedent ar yt hanusual .Onecl i entusedt ohavebi ngo andt her apygr oupever yweek. Now,shej ustst aysathome. Asheract i vi t ydecl i nessodoes herconfidencei nherown abi l i t i es.Ast heysayabody i nmot i onst aysi nmot i on.The t i mewehavewi t ht hem i st he onl yconnect i ont heyhavet o t heout si dewor l d. Asacar egi verI t ’ sbeenscar yt o havet owor kt hr ought hi s pandemi c.W hi l epr et t ymuch ever yoneel seIknow hasbeen abl et owor kf r om home,t hat ’ s


notanopt i onf orus.Ourj obsr equi r eust obei n t hecommuni t yandcont i nuet oi nt er actwi t h peopl e.Gr ocer yst or esof f eronl i neshoppi ng,but t heydon’ tacceptanEBTcar dsowest i l lhavet o shopf orourcl i ent s.Formet hatmeans23mor e shoppi ngt r i pseachweekput t i ngmysel fandmy f ami l yatr i skofcat chi ngt hevi r us.Af t erovera dozenyear s,Iam ser i ousl yquest i oni ngwhet herI wantt okeepdoi ngt hi swor k. . .AndI ’ m nott heonl y one. I fi twer en’ tf ormycl i ent sIwoul dn’ tbedoi ngt hi s. Iwoul dhavequi tal ongt i meago.Butsomeonehas t odoi t .Oneofmyf avor i t equot esi s“t ot hewor l d you’ r eonl yoneper son,butt ot hatoneper sonyou maybet hewor l d. ” Iguesst hatpr et t ymuchsumsi tup. Thedeci si onsyoumakeaboutf undi ng. . .Thesear en’ tj ustnumber s. Youar epl ayi ngwi t hpeopl e’ sl i ves.Thesear eourel der s.Thei rl i vesar ea connect i ont oourpast .Theywor kedhar d,manyoft hem ser vedourcount r y andt heydeser vebet t er . Ast hei rcar egi ver s. . .Sodowe.Suppor tal lofusi nHB 632wi t hcar egi ver wagei ncr eases,pr ovi derr at ei ncr eases,essent i alwor kerbonsuesand r et ent i oni ncr eases. AnnaVol ker sz,Bozeman



W ehavehadsever alposi t i veCovi dcasest hr oughoutmyj ob’ snet wor kofgr oup homesandot herpr ogr amsf orourvul ner abl ecl i ent sal lacr ossMont anaand al sor i ghther ei nBut t e.I ft her ear eposi t i vecasesi nourgr ouphomes,t hest af f t her ehavet ogoi nt oat woweekquar ant i newi t ht hei rcowor ker sandcl i ent s t ocont ai nt hespr eadofCovi danddoourbestdot okeepever ybodyassaf e aspossi bl e. Yes.Your eadt hatr i ght .Mont anacar egi ver satourgr ouphomesquar ant i ne f ort woweeks.Theyl eavet hei rf ami l i es,pet s,andl i vesf or t hatl ongt ost ayatwor k24/ 7wi t hcl i ent st hatar eof t en si ck,scar edandst r essedout .Haveyouever quar ant i nedf ort woweeksatwor k?W ehave.And we’ vedonei tdur i ngt hefinanci al ,heal t handot her st r essesofl i vi ngt hr oughapandemi c.Nomat t er what ,car egi ver sALW AYSshow up. Now,weneed–weexpect–al lofyou t oshow upf orus.Thi si sn’ tabout pol i t i csorwhatpar t yyou’ r e i n.Thi si saboutt heheal t handsaf et y andl i vesofMont anacar egi ver s,our f ami l i esandourcl i ent s. Youhaveanopppor t uni t yt omakeour sand ourcl i ent s’l i vesbet t er .Donotpassi tup. Li saJensen But t e



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