"It's more dangerous to be a home health aide than it is to be a coal miner(1)." Howard Gleckman, senior research associate at the Urban Institute, said that as he described the state of home health care in the U.S. at Genworth Financial's Fourth Annual Long Term Care Symposium on Monday, September 14, in Washington, D.C.
Genworth Financial's Long Term Care Symposium is held annually to discuss and evaluate public policy issues surrounding the state of long term care across the nation. As Congress addresses healthcare reform and its many components, this year's event emphasized the neeed for anational long term care strategy including funding, education and support for the caregiver. Additionally, the event served to highlight the viability of numerous legislative proposals in the support of caregivers aimed at helping to solve the nation's long term care challenges.
Part of the emotional strain facing many home care givers results from low wages paid for providing such services. According to Genworth's "A Workforce to Care for our Aging" 2008 white paper, 19% of home care aides and 16% of nursing home aides are compensated at a level insufficient for them to rise above the poverty line.
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I disagree. The problem is most home health aides are not trained and well, slackers.
ReplyDeleteGood home health aides are hard to find.
Nursing facility aides have the most important job there. They should be paid accordingly.
ReplyDeleteYou're right, StandUp, aides should receive higher pay.
ReplyDeleteThe problem is if their rates were increased, nursing homes would raise their rates.
The upper echelon of the nursing homes -- the owners and managers -- make a killing and they're not willing to give up a penny of the profits.