A shortage of critical caretakers is taking a toll on people in Massachusetts. The state does not have enough home healthcare workers – some say it is a looming crisis that will only get worse. Dave Puglisi has tonight’s 7 Investigates.
“Once I’m in position, then I would use the down button so I can go down – seated position,” said Keisha Greaves.
It is impossible for Greaves to get out of bed each morning without the help of her home healthcare aide.
Her muscular dystrophy brings on progressive weakness and muscle loss, turning the simplest tasks into challenging hurdles.
“If they don’t show up, I feel like I can’t show up,” Greaves told 7NEWS.
That means not showing up to run her small business, which specializes in clothing for the disabled.
“It sucks – It gets me in a frustrated mood. Angry, sad – because I’m like – reminded why I’m in this situation,” Greaves said.
Finding consistent help with daily living activities is a real challenge for people like Keisha and the elderly who want to stay in their homes.
“There’s over 100,000 home care workers in the state but with a turnover of between 40 and 60%, that – it is scary,” said Marlishia Aho, regional communications manager at 1199SEIU.
Union representatives say home healthcare workers are leaving the field because of the physical demands, crushing patient loads and low pay.
“When you put that up against a retail opportunity, where you could go to one building and work there for the day, I think it becomes a challenge for our providers and our members to recruit and advocate for the workers to come work for them,” Home Care Alliance of Massachusetts Executive Director Jake Krilovich said.
The home healthcare worker shortage is also creating a backlog of patients stuck in local hospitals awaiting home care.
7 Investigates found that at any given time, there are roughly 300 people in Massachusetts hospitals who have been waiting more than a month to be discharged to be discharged into the care of a home aide.
“At any given time, in that program, there are over 4,000 older adults who are awaiting services, and the number one reason being lack of available home care workers,” Krilovich explained.
One union negotiated with the state to bump up entry-level pay, hoping to recruit more workers. The deal also includes a new pay structure based on experience, aiming to let some workers earn up to $25 an hour by 2026.
“It’s still not enough, especially considering Massachusetts is one of the most expensive states to live in,” Aho said.
As for Keisha, she fears she won’t be able to live on her own if the shortage worsens. She said she hopes these critical workers get an incentive to stay in the field.
“If we’re not paying the aides what they deserve to get paid, why would they stick around?” Greaves asked. “When they show up, I’m like ‘alright this is going to be a good day.'”
A recent study estimates that in six years, there will be 4.7 million home healthcare aide job openings nationwide if issues aren’t addressed.
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