Nursing home workers are calling on lawmakers to help them get a pay raise and health care benefits. Representative Nancy Argenziano has sponsored legislation that would require the agency for health care administration to earmark funds to increase wages and compensation benefits for the workers that care for Florida's elderly. Nursing home workers earn on average less than eight dollars an hour, which is below the federal poverty level for a family of four. Low wages and a lack of benefits has resulted in a high turn over rate in Florida's nursing homes which some critics say has caused a decline in the quality of health care.

Rep. Nancy Argenziano of Crystal River commented that "Our CNA's have been telling us for many, many years. We cannot stay in nursing homes and take care of loved ones and do the work we do if we can't make a decent living wage. They have families to take care of also. We want them to take care of our families, we need to help them take care of theirs."

The proposed bill would require nursing homes to use taxpayer dollars to create benefits for all nursing home workers including certified nursing assistants, housekeeping, laundry and dietary workers. For more information on HB 1569 you can log onto www. leg. state. fl. us