COA 9-27-19 Handout. Shortage of Care Workers

Home

However, home -care experiments at the state level could eventually inform federal blueprints for change. "We don't think there is a path forward without a political solution," says David Hammer, executive director of the ICA Group, a consulting firm that helps grow worke cooperatives, employee stock ownership plans and other social purpose ventures. Pay and Benefits for Horne Care Workers To understand the problem, it helps to understand current conditions. The home care industry is losing workers to big box retailers, fast food restaurants and similar businesses paying higher wages. The median hourly rate for home care workers is a measly $10.66 according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. That's about what a short-order cook makes and it's two-thirds of the hourly earnings of veterinarian technicians, notes Howard Gleckman, senior fellow at the Urban Institute think-tank and an authority on long-term care. "In other words, we pay people $5 -an -hour more to care for our cats than to care for oL mothers," Gleckman acidly writes. Says Janet Kim, communications director at the advocacy group, Caring Across Generations: "When it comes down to it, you have to boost wages to attract and retain workers." Benefits are paltry, too. Only a third of home care workers are employed full-time and, as with most businesses, part-timers often don't qualify for benefits. Families generally don't provide health insurance, either; about 40% of home care workers rely on public health care coverage (mostly Medicaid). Worse, the industry has high rates of on-the-job injuries (higher than mining and oil az gas extraction) and there is a high risk of sexual harassment and assault for its primaril female workforce. Little surprise that The National Domestic Workers Alliance has called for a #MeToo Day of Action for domestic workers including home care workers; will be April 24.