WHEREAS, 6 in 10 adults (~157M) and 10-20 million children in the U.S. have either a chronic illness or disability and are cared for by 65.7 million caregivers, and, in California, 4.45 million caregivers provide care to 38% of adult Californians (45.8 – 47.8% in Contra Costa County) with one or more chronic conditions.

WHEREAS, informal caregivers provide a national economic value of $470B annually ($58B in CA), while only being paid $14/hr. in Contra Costa County, 46% of those who provide complex chronic care perform medical and nursing tasks, yet are 2.5 times more likely to live in poverty and, under the Medicaid Estate Recovery Plan (MERP), primary caregivers, who are age 55+ (~ 50%) and often depend on Medicaid, stand to lose any real and personal property and other assets in their probate estate upon deceasing, denying them the ability to leave their disabled and other dependents an inheritance, unless they can afford a lawyer, create a Special Needs Trust, and have a lifelong trustee for the disabled dependent.

WHEREAS, high-stressed family caregivers can lose up to 10 years of life and 30% die before those they care for due to twice the rate of chronic illness, advanced cellular aging at 6 times the rate of a single parent, 23% higher level stress hormones, 15% reduced antibody responses, 40-70% rate of clinically significant depressive symptoms, 33.3% moderate to severe anxiety, and 1 in 4 commit suicide. Overburdened caregivers inevitably experience declining cognitive function and overall well-being, compromising a recipient’s quality of care. A 2016-17 study found that 13 of 103 deaths among disabled persons were due to treatment delays, neglect, or abuse.

THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that, to correct this serious injustice, may the California Democratic Party join Home Care Providers in asking for a mandate by 1) the Board of Supervisors to pay caregivers a livable wage equivalent to their level of skilled services and protect their retirement benefits through CalSavers or pension, 2) the state legislature to pay Family Medical Leave and vacation, more accrued paid sick days, and permanently end the 7% cut to consumer hours, and 3) our state and federal representatives to protect dependent inheritance.

Authored by Marisol Rubio

Endorsed by:
Democratic Party of Contra Costa County
Contra Costa Labor Council
Betty Yee, California State Controller
Daraka Larimore-Hall, Vice Chair, CDP
Arnulfo de la Cruz, SEIU 2015 Regional Vice President
Bryan Fazio, Orange County Democratic Veterans Club President
Amar Shergill, Chair of the CDP Progressive Caucus
Andrew Silaj, Dean Preston SF District 5
Deborah Cunningham-Skurnik, Regional Director, Region 8
Phyllis Lucy Gordon, Vice President, Association of California Commission for Women
Igor Tregub, AD15, CDP E-Board Rep, Berkeley Rent Board Commissioner
Brandon Harami, AD19 and Vice Chair of the CDP Progressive Caucus
Cullen Tiernan, Former Chair of the CDP Veteran's Caucus and AD-20 Delegate
Hene Kelly, AD19
Sameena Usman, AD 25, DNC Delegate
Rita Xavier, San Pablo Vice Mayor, Appointed Delegate
Elizabeth Higgins, AD44, Ventura County Supervisory Dist. 3 Delegate, Former VC Field Operations Chair, Camarillo Strategic Planning Chair
Lauren Johnson-Norris, E-Board, ADEM AD74
Allison Donahoe-Beggs, AD75 Delegate
Jonathan Nelson, Councilmember, SCDD
Glenn Glazer, Executive Board, CDP
Iman Novin, ADEM, AD16
Yolanda Pena Mendrek, Oakley School Board Member
Oliver Jimenez, Commissioner, City of Montebello
Nathan Kempe, DSCC delegate, AD 60
Courtney Masella-O’Brien, Martinez Unified School Board Trustee
Cody Keller, Vice President, Contra Costa Young Dems
Ruth Carter, AD1, Chair CDP Senior Caucus
James Farley, Former Member State Central Committee 20th AD
Matthew Cappiello, AD75
George Majeed Khoury, ADEM, AD75
Rebecca Auerbach, DSCC Delegate, AD14
Richard F Mehlinger, Elected ADEM, AD24
Danial Leahy, DPCCC District 5 Director
Kevin Wilk, Mayor, Walnut Creek
Andrew Silaj, Dean Preston SF District 5
Astrid Zuniga, AD21 E-Board Rep., Labor Caucus Treasurer and Exec., VP UDW/AFSCME3930
Ajit Kaushal, Chair, South Asian and Minority Democratic Club
Lloyd Schine, AD14
Cri Campbell Schine, AD14
Zach Denney, Officer-at-Large, CDP Progressive Caucus; AD13
Ellie Householder, Antioch School Board Trustee
Ruscal Cayangyang, AD14, Former Vallejo School Board President
Kenji Yamada, DSCC Delegate
Robyn Kuslits, DSCC Delegate
Susana Williams, AD11
M Ronald Cohen, AD75 Delegate
Alfred Twu, AD15
Motecuzoma Sanchez, AD13
Margarita, Lacabe, AD18
Martha Kreeger, AD25
Alex Caraballo, AD 25
Kieryn Darkwater, AD18
Ganesh Balamitran, AD25
Sara Roos, AD54
Monica Madrid, ADEM, AD9
Lucy Shen, AD25