Jesus Saavedra, 71, began picking cotton in California’s Central Valley when he was just 16 years old. Now retired, he has difficulty both standing and lying down due to constant pain from nerve damage in his hands and head and fibrosis throughout his body. His wife Maria, 70, believes his decades in the fields caused his injuries. She cares for him around the clock, paid through California’s In-Home Supportive Services program (IHSS).
The program provides funding for disabled, Medi-Cal qualified individuals to hire in home health providers, including family members. Maria Saavedra gets paid for 50 hours of caregiving each month — her limit set by the state — and earns $18 per hour, a rate negotiated by her union with Los Angeles County. Her hourly pay adds up to $900 each month.
