“Fresno County Supervisors don’t seem to understand our healthcare needs — why poverty wages are destroying us.”
Bill’s dedication.
For Fresno County care provider Bill Peterson, his job isn’t merely a way to get a paycheck or stay busy. For Bill, a former Air Force veteran, his job as a caregiver for almost two decades is his mission in life. It’s what gets him up in the morning and spurs him on.
Bill cares for his 19-year-old son, Jack. Jack has autism and Down Syndrome. Bill is the main parent in Jack’s life, since Jack’s mom abandoned him and Bill when Jack was only a toddler. Bill does a lot for Jack: he feeds, changes, bathes, and helps Jack get around through all the necessities of active daily living. Jack is grateful for his father’s love and service, and the two are close. Jack is also close to Bill’s longtime partner, who affectionately refers to Jack as her “stepson.”
A moment in time.
Before becoming a full-time caregiver to Jack, Bill was an Air Force servicemember. His primary job was working as a paramedic. Bill also worked as an educator in the Air Force and helped to train future paramedics. Being an educator wasn’t Bill’s calling, but he looks back on that time with fondness.
“We were medics who jumped out of planes. The job let me travel a lot. I’m grateful for it, and it made me the father that I am today, but it also had a darker side: all those years of getting shot at by enemy pilots or our parachutes not working properly left a lot of us with PTSD. Personally, I’ve been diagnosed by a doctor with PTSD from that time. To cope, I initially took to drinking, but I’ve been sober for four years now. It’s still not easy, though. Sometimes, I get vivid nightmares that lead to insomnia. On top of all of that, it’s like my body is still in war-mode: I’m constantly walking around all the time in a state of high anxiety. Not saying any of this to get sympathy. It’s just a reality of being a veteran, sometimes.”
Bill is passionate about politics and is extremely well-read on matters relating to everything from history to healthcare. Decades ago, while still a young man, Bill double-majored in art and political science at SUNY Geneseo, a college in Rochester, New York, where Bill grew up. Majoring in political science helped Bill become more attuned to the subtleties of U.S. politics. Majoring in art helped keep Bill down-to-earth, and gave him an appreciation for all things creative and innovative. Bill takes pride in these traits, and he credits his education along with his time in the Air Force for making him as passionate and outspoken about politics as he is.
“You got people flipping burgers for 20 bucks an hour, but caregivers aren’t given the same. That’s not right. I think it’s great for the fast food employees, who I have great respect for — but caregivers deserve the same,” says Bill. “I’m really disappointed with the fact that our county supervisors can’t understand the realities of what the job of caregiving looks like. They have no idea what it’s like to have to change adult diapers, or catheterize a loved one.”
Bill’s struggles with bills, bills, bills.
Bill lives paycheck to paycheck on his $16 an hour salary. Like so many other providers, Bill is forced to budget within an inch of his life, in order to care for not just himself, but for Jack, too.
“I remember thinking ‘How will I make it on this salary, what will I do to keep food on the table for us? Not having enough money to survive could leave us on the streets.’ That’s when I realized the Fresno County Board needs to listen to us because they’re human too.”
Bill gets a decent amount of hours, but his IHSS salary alone is not enough to provide a stable living, much less a comfortable one. Right now, the stakes are high with the cost of living going up, and the Fresno County Board giving no solutions to increasing wages without the threat of eliminating healthcare benefits for care providers across the county.
“As caregivers, we give our everything to the folks we care for. We’re not asking for the moon here, or for the county to make us millionaires. We just want livable wages, no cuts to our healthcare, and real solutions from Fresno County Board members.”
Investing in healthcare.
Home care providers like Bill in Fresno County are asking the Board of Supervisors to refrain from eliminating their healthcare. Board members continue to say that they want everyone to be covered…but their “solution” is to continue to pay poverty wages, eliminate the healthcare provided in the IHSS contract, and push IHSS providers onto government assistance: the Medi-Cal system. Increasing the county’s investment in healthcare for home care providers is the only equitable solution to long-term care for all.
“We know Fresno is on a care cliff crisis. And this work is hard — period. Caring for my son, Jack, I know not everyone is cut out to do it. It’s time for the Fresno County Board of Supervisors to understand we mean business, and investing in care is vital not just to this county, but across the state. I love my job, it’s what I wake up each day proud to do. I just wish providers like me can have a pathway to livable wages and keep our healthcare without pushing us toward government assistance like Medi-Cal on our low wages. The time to ‘Put Care First’ is NOW.”
