It's safe to say that when we are sick or in need, we want to be in the comfort of our own homes. Delaware's home care programs allow medically-fragile individuals to receive the services they need to stay safe, healthy, and live the highest quality of life -- in their own homes. But too often, home care is not a readily available option for seniors and residents with disabilities, as Delaware's public funding formula does not currently allow in-home caregivers to earn a competitive wage.

When providers cannot recruit and retain enough in-home aides and nurses to meet these essential needs, residents who need care can't access it. Often, their family members must call out of work, miss out on sleep, or forgo other responsibilities to care for their loved one. In many cases, family caregivers end up quitting their jobs altogether to provide care or must make the difficult and costly decision to place their relatives in an institutional setting. State involvement is necessary to ensure that the Delawareans who need home care now, and in the future, can obtain it.

Home care isn't just the obvious choice for individuals who need long-term care -- it's the clear choice for the State as well. Home care costs significantly less than institutional care, and-if properly invested in-would save the State significant Medicaid dollars. A 2023 Genworth study found that, in Delaware, nursing home care costs double that of home care. That means it costs the same to keep two people in their homes, where they want to be, as it does to keep one person in a nursing home. That is a significant cost savings potential for Delaware, one that should be considered immediately given that Delaware is rapidly aging and becoming more disabled. Recent estimates show those 60 and older will make up nearly 30% of Delaware's population by 2030.

For Craig Colby, a Delawarean who's lived with ALS for 17 years, home care allows him to live the life he wants, where he wants. Last year he told the Joint Finance Committee, "I need 24/7 care, I cannot be left alone under any circumstances. Which brings me to the home health companies and their nurses. Unfortunately, the nurses are not paid anywhere close to the industry average. Which in turn makes it extremely hard for the agencies to hire and retain nurses that can maintain the level of care that I require."

"I understand that some people are happy to just go to a facility and live out their life there. For me, that has never been an option," Colby said. "Being at home is safer because I have a nurse that knows what needs to be done and keeps my care consistent."

To ensure that Craig and thousands of other current and future home care recipients can access the supports they need, we call upon the relevant state bodies to increase Medicaid funding for home health care. Unless home care providers can recruit and retain a committed and adequately paid workforce, the growing needs of medically fragile young people and older adults will go unmet: and they, their loved ones, and our communities will suffer.

Change is possible so that home care is both more available and more affordable, and it's up to us as elected officials to make it happen. This legislative session we will hear again from critical stakeholder communities -- families, aides, nurses and care providers -- who will echo the same sentiment: Delaware's Medicaid rates for home care services-though increased in the past few years -- have not yet caught up to meet inflationary needs and remain behind. Unless properly adjusted to meet real-time developments, Delaware's most vulnerable will continue to experience unnecessary hardship. Let's work together to help keep our state's residents where they want to, and deserve to be: at home.

State Sen. Kyra Hoffner represents Delaware's 14th Senate District and Rep. Kendra Johnson represents Delaware's District 5.