The Future of America’s Homecare Workers & Quality of Care for our Aging Population
The New York Times recently published an article, Caring for the Caregivers, and while I read the piece, I merely shook my head a few times thinking about the implications in the article and what I know from my perspective in the eldercare industry. One of the first things I learned in this business is that when it is feasible, most people want to age in place, meaning live in their homes with whatever help, be it homecare and/or technology, they will need for as long as they can. America’s aging population is increasing and there is also an ongoing shortage of homecare aides to help this burgeoning group do what they want, which is to stay comfortably in their own homes.
But, as the article pointed out:
” According to the Labor Department, personal and home care aides are expected to be the second fastest-growing occupation in the United States from 2006–2016, increasing by 51 percent, slightly behind the expected growth in systems and data communications analysts. “
So who exaclty are these people who come into the homes to take care for your parents? The NY Times article points it out succinctly, ” most home care aides are women, low income and minority, and many of them are immigrants. ” And although some of the states have taken steps to give them basic labor protections, most of these women work for agencies that under the existing federal guidelines are allowed to mark them as companions, leaving the caregivers with no rights to minimum wages and overtime. This is not to say all agencies take advantage of this fact, there are lots of agencies that have realized the efficiency of low-staff turnover and treating their workers accordingly. This sector of healthcare is growing rapidly and yet many of its workers are not protected. And they should be, because they are the backbone of the aging in place movement; the ones supporting and tending to the needs of our elders in their homes. So, what is being done to solve this issue?
Right now, the Service Employees International Union is working to unionize homecare workers in every state. Washington and Montana have unionized homecare workers, while here in California, there is still in-fighting ongoing between the unions. Many have voiced the opinion that new laws and legislation has to be passed by the Labor Department to offer greater federal protection for homecare workers. I believe this is the best way to keep these workers safe. (Yep, that’s a nudge, President Obama, but I do realize you are very busy these days.) In the end, it all circles back to quality of care. Happy, well-paid, well-trained workers who work for agencies with low turnover are, and will always be, the ones delivering the highest quality of long term care to our mothers, fathers and possible even us one day.
Posted in Healthcare Professionals, Healthcare Services