As Illinois nursing home owners come under heightened scrutiny for improper patient discharges and inadequate staffing care, State Senator Daniel Biss and State Representative Kelly M. Cassidy joined nursing home workers to protest at the allegedly bedbug-infested Albany Care nursing home in Evanston on Tuesday to stand up for safe working and living conditions at the nursing home, including fair wages, quality jobs, and improved patient care. Workers are also raising concerns about an alleged bedbug infestation that threatens nursing home residents and puts workers at risk of infection, and the resulting costs of exterminators’ fees and other treatments workers can’t afford. Nursing home workers at Albany Care in Evanston and six other homes are, as members of SEIU Healthcare Illinois, fighting to negotiate a new contract to improve the quality of nursing home jobs and address concerns over low wages and patient care. Despite raking in big profits, the for-profit nursing home owners have refused to significantly raise staffing levels and have actively worked to keep wages low. Tuesday’s picket is the latest in a wave of protests in Chicagoland and beyond as nursing home workers across the state fight to make nursing home jobs good jobs and improve patient care. The owners are pushing to keep wages unlivable low – despite the demanding nature of the work, the level of skill and training required and the crucial role workers play in safeguarding the well-being of seniors and people with disabilities in their care.