Arizona’s caregiver crisis is growing, but lawmakers can help

Sara Wilson

Submitted photo/Brandon Sullivan for Home Assist Health

Investing in home care is both compassionate and fiscally responsible. Providers across Arizona are asking legislators to support an additional one-time investment of $2.5 million in the FY27 AHCCCS HCBS-EPD budget line to help stabilize the caregiver workforce and protect access to in-home services.”

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OPINION — Arizona is facing a growing caregiver crisis.

Across our state, more seniors and individuals with disabilities are choosing to remain in their homes as they age. Home and community-based care allows people to live safely and independently while staying connected to their families and communities.

These services also help prevent costly hospitalizations and institutional care, but the system that makes this possible is under strain.

Arizona’s population is aging rapidly, and demand for caregivers continues to rise. At the same time, the workforce that supports seniors and people with disabilities is struggling to keep pace. Providers across the state face ongoing staffing challenges driven by rising costs, increased competition for workers and reimbursement rates that have not kept up with the realities of today’s economy.

The challenge is especially visible in Arizona’s Home and Community-Based Services for Elderly and Physically Disabled — HCBS-EPD —  program, which serves approximately 14,000 vulnerable Arizonans and represents 95% of Medicaid home care recipients statewide.

Despite the critical role these services play, HCBS-EPD has received no legislative funding increases for three consecutive fiscal years. A 2023 Mercer study identified a $30 million funding shortfall, with the gap approaching $6 per hour simply to keep pace with minimum wage increases.

Caregivers are not minimum-wage workers. They are trained professionals who assist with essential daily activities, manage complex health needs and help seniors remain safe in their homes.

For caregivers like Francisca Alanis, the work is deeply personal. Each day she helps her client with the activities of daily living that make independent life possible such as preparing meals, assisting with personal care, maintaining a safe home and providing companionship and connection to family and community. She also watches for changes in condition and helps reinforce healthy routines that support stability at home.

Stories like this play out in homes across our state every day.

When caregivers leave the workforce, seniors and individuals with disabilities lose access to essential support. Families often step in without training or resources, and the health care system absorbs higher costs through emergency visits and institutional care.

Investing in home care is both compassionate and fiscally responsible. Providers across Arizona are asking legislators to support an additional one-time investment of $2.5 million in the FY27 AHCCCS HCBS-EPD budget line to help stabilize the caregiver workforce and protect access to in-home services.

How Arizonans can help

• Understand the role of legislators. State lawmakers set reimbursement rates for Medicaid-funded home care programs, which directly affect caregiver wages and access to services.

• Recognize the value of caregivers. Direct care workers are trained professionals providing essential daily care that helps seniors remain safely at home.


Arizona’s seniors and individuals with disabilities deserve a care system that values the professionals who support them every day. Funding and protecting the home care workforce will help ensure Arizonans can age with dignity, independence and safety in the place they call home.

Sara Wilson is CEO of Home Assist Health, a Phoenix-based nonprofit serving seniors and individuals with disabilities. Please submit comments at yourvalley.net/letters or email them to AzOpinions@iniusa.org. We are committed to publishing a wide variety of reader opinions, as long as they meet our Civility Guidelines.