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 elder care industry. First thing I learned in this business is that when it is acceptable people would want to age in place, meaning live in their homes with whatever help, be it homecare and/or technology, they 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. "

And who exactly are these people who come into the home to 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 them with no rights to overtime and minimum wages. 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's being done about 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, in-fighting is still ongoing between unions. Many have voiced the opinion that new 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.

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