The home-care workers' starting wage, currently $4.15 an hour, will rise to $5.90 over the course of the contract.

State officials attribute the increase to better wages for home-care workers.

The state would charge home-care workers $100 for the initial processing and investigation.

But perhaps the most wanted service in all parts of the country is finding home-care workers.

However, the hospital workers' union puts the total of home-care workers far higher, at about 70,000.

"They haven't had anyone except home-care workers, relatives and a few friends visit in years."

But not all home-care workers were overlooked by the bill.

The home-care worker is paid $6.20 an hour, and does not know how she would make ends meet if her rent exceeded $200 a month.

The home-care workers are paid $4.15 an hour when they start and $4.55 an hour after about a year of work.

On average, it costs $2,200 a month for home care, with home-care workers earning a meager $6.50 an hour.