Caring Across Maryland Rallies Lawmakers to Fix Nursing Home & Home Care Crisis on Lobby Day

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Tuesday, February 25, 2025

CONTACT: Daniela Perez, [email protected]

Caring Across Maryland Rallies Lawmakers to Fix Nursing Home & Home Care Crisis on Lobby Day

ANNAPOLIS, MD – Today, care workers, care recipients, and advocates gathered at the Maryland General Assembly for the 2025 Caring Across Maryland Lobby Day. The event brought together community members and partner organizations—including the National Domestic Workers Alliance (NDWA), SEIU1099, the Public Justice Center, and Alzheimer’s Association—to demand urgent legislative action addressing Maryland’s nursing home and home care crisis.

“Our care system is at a tipping point,” said Allison Yunda, NDWA’s Lead Maryland Organizer. “We told our lawmakers that the time for meaningful reform is now. Our voices today reflect the urgency of addressing the underfunding, understaffing, and undervaluing of those who care for our loved ones.”

Participants pressed legislators on several crucial bills designed to reform Maryland’s care infrastructure:

• Nursing Home Care Crisis Transparency Act (HB 933/SB 679): Enhances fiscal transparency and ensures nursing home funds are allocated to resident care and worker wages.
• Alzheimer’s Treatment and Public Health Surveillance (HB 1004/SB 748): Seeks improved data collection and increased awareness of Alzheimer’s disease, which disproportionately affects Maryland.
• Safe Staffing Act of 2025 (HB 905/SB 720): Proposes the formation of safe staffing committees in hospitals to address unsafe staff-to-patient ratios.
• Interested Parties Advisory Group (IPAG) (HB 1142/SB 920): Calls for a group that will recommend fair provider reimbursement rates, ensuring that the voices of both care workers and consumers are heard.
• Home Care Search and Match Tool (HB 1478): Plans to create a dashboard to connect individuals on Maryland’s long Medicaid waitlist with qualified care workers.

The Lobby Day was a pivotal moment in the National Domestic Workers Alliance’s nationwide campaign to transform care across the country. Participants emphasized that fair wages, improved working conditions, and transparent systems are not just policy issues, but moral imperatives that impact the lives of countless Maryland families.

In a touching display of solidarity, participants also took part in the “Carnations for Care” activity. Attendees crafted arrangements featuring carnations as a symbol of care, compassion, and commitment. This creative gesture honored the vital work of care providers while underscoring the urgent need for reforms that uphold the dignity and worth of those who care for our communities.

“Today’s rally was not just about policy; it was about dignity, respect, and the future of care in Maryland,” added Yunda. “We will continue to stand together until our lawmakers commit to reforms that protect both care workers and those who depend on their services.”

####

National Domestic Workers Alliance (NDWA) is the leading voice for dignity and fairness for millions of domestic workers in the United States. Founded in 2007, NDWA works for respect, recognition and inclusion in labor protections for domestic workers, the majority of whom are immigrants and women of color. NDWA is powered by over 70 affiliate organizations and local chapters and by a growing membership base of nannies, house cleaners and care workers in over 20 states. Learn more at www.domesticworkers.org. NDWA is a non-partisan non-profit organization that does not endorse, support, or oppose any candidates for public office.