Bill boosting support services for elderly, disabled during disasters goes to governor’s desk

A bill aimed at improving in-home support services for seniors and people with disabilities during natural disasters, such as wildfires, was approved by state lawmakers Monday and forwarded to Gov. Jerry Brown’s desk.

The measure, authored by state Sen. Bill Dodd, D-Napa, would, among other things, authorize county welfare departments to approve more hours for in-home support services workers to assist their clients during a disaster.

Under current law, no more than 283 hours can be approved each month except under extraordinary circumstances. The bill would specify that an “extraordinary circumstance” may include a situation arising out of a natural disaster.

Dodd’s bill also expedites funding from the state Office of Emergency Services for clients to repair damaged and destroyed dwellings, and establishes a protocol for prompt replacement of caregivers’ paychecks lost or destroyed in a disaster.

Caregivers earn “very low wages” providing personal care, such as feeding, bathing, housecleaning and cooking, for low-income seniors and disabled people, Dodd said in a statement.

His bill was prompted by last year’s devastating North Bay wildfires and Southern California mudslides that Dodd said “exposed systemwide failures” that prevented people from continuing to receive services while they were evacuated to shelters.

“We must continue to care for our disabled and elderly, even when disaster strikes,” Dodd said, adding that his bill is intended to “ensure protection for our most vulnerable population.”

His bill, SB 1040, also requires counties updating their emergency response plans to include provisions ensuring services will continue to be provided during natural disasters.

In-Home Supportive Services, the state’s largest long-term care program, helps 500,000 low-income seniors and disabled people live safely at home rather than in costly care facilities. Most of them earn less than $1,000 a month, Dodd said.

His bill was supported by the California Association of Public Authorities for In-Home Supportive Services, the United Domestic Workers union and the California Commission on Aging.

There were 5,587 in-home support service clients and 5,433 care providers in March in Sonoma County, according to the county’s human services department.