New coalition including home care workers, families, advocates, officials unites behind a demand for Illinois leaders to address rising care crisis endangering seniors

‘Care Can’t Wait’ launch elevate wage increase demand for Department of Aging Community Care Program home care workers struggling to keep up with rising costs 

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – A grassroots coalition of home care workers, seniors and advocates joined elected officials in Springfield for a press conference and rally Tuesday to launch a statewide “Care Can’t Wait” campaign demanding Illinois lawmakers take action to protect seniors in this year’s budget amid multiple ongoing and new threats to Illinois seniors’ access to quality, affordable care.

Seniors and care workers with SEIU Healthcare Illinois joined State Sen. Celina Villanueva (D-Chicago), State Rep. Mary Beth Canty (IL-54), and leaders from Addus HomeCare and the Alzheimer’s Association for a press conference in the Blue Room of the Illinois State Capitol and demanded the state legislature increase the wage floor for home care workers serving seniors in the Community Care Program from $18/hr to $20/hr in 2026 via a Department of Aging rate increase in the budget.

Flanked by signs blaring, “Care Can’t Wait,” seniors and stakeholders shared emotional stories about how access to home care is essential.

“Many times, my home care agency fails to send replacement workers if my caregiver isn’t available, which means my daughter and granddaughter have to drop what they’re doing to step in and help. They have their own work obligations and this creates a real hardship for us all,” said Diana Inman, a Decatur senior who receives home care services through the Community Care Program. “We must raise pay for our home care workers so families like mine aren’t put through these disruptions in care.” 

“We need state action on care now more than ever. Safety nets and services that seniors depend on are under threat. It’s time for us to stand up and make sure that seniors are safe and getting the care they need,” said Erica Bland, Executive Vice President of SEIU Healthcare Illinois. “Here in Illinois, we know how to pave the way for others. We know that we can’t rely on anyone else to build the future for us. We need to do this ourselves. It’s time for Illinois to be a leader and show that care can’t wait!”

Illinois is facing an urgent care crisis. Over 20,000 seniors in Illinois who need home care services are not receiving care – which means they can’t age with dignity in their homes. Severe short staffing in nursing homes, far below the legally required level, is putting seniors in danger. 

“For those battling Alzheimer’s or dementia, being able to stay in a familiar environment can help lead to better outcomes. It allows those living with dementia to remain in their community longer,” said David Olson, Director of State Affairs at Alzheimer’s Association Illinois. “Right now, low pay and few benefits for home care workers have led to a revolving door of care workers and that hurts all seniors, but especially those with Alzheimer’s or a related dementia.” 

At the same time – care workers are leaving the industry in droves because home care workers can’t afford to stay and nursing home workers are burnt out from chronic understaffing. Home care workers paid through the Department of Aging are paid $18 per hour – not nearly enough to get by as costs rise. 

“I love my job, but low wages have made it difficult to remain in this industry. I financially support both my mom and my brother, and I’ve personally struggled to afford my prescribed medication for epilepsy,” said Jenny Smith, a Champaign home care worker and SEIU Healthcare Illinois member. “Until my annual deductible is reached, I have to pay over $1,600 out of pocket every year for my meds, and the costs keep piling up. Families like mine are being pushed to the breaking point by the ongoing cost of living crisis.”

Every time a care worker leaves the industry, the care crisis deepens: seniors with approved home care hours are unfulfilled and the home care waiting list gets longer. 

Following the press conference, workers and allies rallied in the Capitol Rotunda, chanting “Time for $20″ to send a clear message to Illinois lawmakers: Care Can’t Wait.  

“I hear from families in my district all the time about the impossible choices they’re forced to make for themselves and their loved ones because seniors can’t get the care they need at home,” said State Representative Mary Beth Canty (IL-54). “It doesn’t need to be this hard. The solution is investing in care workers to stabilize the care workforce.”

Without urgent action, the care crisis is only going to get worse. The state of Illinois will need to increase the number of long-term care workers by more than a quarter million in less than ten years in order to keep up with the growth of the aging population. 

“We cannot leave our parents and grandparents to fend for themselves without access to the life-saving care they need. That’s not who we are,” said State Senator Celina Villanueva (D-Chicago). “But without raising wages for home care workers, that’s what we’re doing. I’m committed to raising the wage floor for this vital and overwhelmingly female workforce to $20 per hour to address this crisis.”

Increasing the number of care workers will require Illinois leaders to act quickly to make care jobs good jobs where workers have the support they need to care for seniors and other vulnerable populations. 

“We are competing with retail, fast food, and other jobs in communities where the pay and benefits are better,” said Lashun James, Vice President of Government Affairs and Community Relations from Addus HomeCare – a home care provider that employs 14,000 home care workers across Illinois who serve seniors through the Community Care Program. “We hear from our care workers that they love the work they’re doing with Addus, but they simply cannot support their families on what they earn. They have no choice but to leave. Addus HomeCare firmly supports a new wage floor of $20 per hour for the Community Care Program home care workforce.”