Staff shortages are becoming more common among senior living facilities as the COVID 19 pandemic continues, and the state has announced plans to provide more support.
But what about those going into peoples’ homes to provide healthcare?
“I just want everyone to know, we are out here on the front lines too,” says Elizabeth Davis, a home health aide in Massachusetts. “I go into the clients’ homes, and I do whatever the care plan says. Most of the time, it’s getting them up, out of the bed, bathing them, getting them dressed.”
With COVID 19, she had to change the way she does some things, like keeping distance between herself and clients’ families, but the mission remains the same.
“I go whenever they want me to go. To me right now it’s about caring for my clients. They receive the best care as I can but I am putting my life on the line out there every day and I think I deserve some pay increase,” says Davis.
Though, it’s not clear if she is getting a pay increase.
Earlier this month, the state announced $50 million would go to nursing facilities, and additional money is coming if those facilities provide dedicated “COVID 19 units.”
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“I’m saying quite publicly, we expect that the staff who are coming to work each and every day deserve to have a recognition in their salaries,” said Health and Human Services Director Marylou Sudders.
There’s also a 10% increase in funding for rest homes, which are residential care units.
Last week, an increase for personal care attendants was also announced, and home care agencies also got a boost of 10 percent.
But unions say, there isn’t a guarantee workers will see that, because it’s up to agencies to disperse.
Unions across Massachusetts are working to change that.
“Clearly, there’s a need for additional hazard pay for these workers who are putting themselves in sometimes danger to go to work in order to provide care,” says Tim Foley with United Healthcare Workers East Massachusetts.
Davis works for Home Care Hands, a 24/7 care at home agency. The company told us they had not received any additional money from the state yet.
“I need us to be put on the front and recognized too,” says Davis.
The union that represents some home health care workers says there’s also concerns that more money is going toward workers supplied for staffing agencies, rather than workers directly working for nursing homes. They are working on a compromise.
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