Editorial writers at the New York Times say home health care workers are prone to low pay and exploitation because outdated labor rules exempt their employers from federal standards governing overtime and minimum wage rates. Home health care is expected to be one of the nation’s fastest-growing occupations over the next decade, with an increase of 51 percent forecast.

An excerpt:

… It is unconscionable that workers who are entrusted with the care of some of the nation’s most vulnerable citizens are themselves unprotected by basic labor standards.

It is also unwise, because poor pay for long hours leads to high turnover, which undermines the quality of care. Turnover also drives up the cost of providing home care – a needless drain on Medicaid, which pays for many home care services. And that is not the only way that poor quality home care jobs end up costing taxpayers. Nearly half of home care workers rely on food stamps or other public assistance, so taxpayers ultimately compensate for their low pay and inadequate benefits.

From the Wichita Eagle, Lawrence [KS] Journal-World:

About 40 people in wheelchairs gathered at the entrance to the state capitol in Topeka Monday to protest a freeze in home care services for people with physical disabilities. Advocates say the freeze will force more people out of their homes and into nursing facilities.

They were there to protest a recent decision by the Department of Social and Rehabilitation Services to quit accepting applications for the physical disability waiver, a program that provides services to help the disabled stay in their own homes and out of nursing care.

SRS froze applications after an unexpected increase in enrollment overran the program’s funding by $10 million.

… While [SRS officials] acknowledge that home care by an attendant is usually cheaper than nursing care, they also have said that under federal Medicaid rules, nursing-home care is considered an entitlement while home care is not.

Earlier post here.

From the Wichita [Kansas] Eagle:

Agencies serving people with developmental disabilities in Wichita say they struggle to fill and retain direct support professionals in positions that pay just $8 or $9 an hour, or less than the pay at McDonald’s. They describe the situation as a crisis, and are pushing for more state funding.

A recent report by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services projected a nationwide shortage of direct support professionals. The study counted an estimated 874,000 full-time direct support workers in 2003, and said demand is expected to grow to 1.2 million in 2020 to meet the needs of an estimated 1.4 million people with developmental disabilities.

From The Seattle Times:

Solid Ground, a Seattle home-care program that serves about 200 people with disabilities and chronic conditions, is shutting down after 29 years and laying off 114 home-care workers at year’s end. Organizers say the closure of Solid Grounds reflects a sign of hard economic times.

“It’s just a symptom of a bigger problem,” said Cheryl Cobbs, Solid Ground’s executive director. “Nonprofits kind of operate on the edge, and we’ve reached the end of a cliff at this point.”

Solid Ground sought to offer workers benefits and more competitive wages ranging from about $11.50 to $13.50 an hour, which is $1 to $1.50 more than caregivers earn at other agencies. In addition to Medicare and Medicaid funding, the organization depended on donations that have become more scarce with a troubled economy.

From the Sacramento Bee:

Disability advocates rallied at the state Capitol on Veteran’s Day against Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s plan to cut care-worker wages and access to services.

The Republican governor has proposed cutting the state’s In-Home Supportive Services program (IHSS) by  $118 million for the remainder of the fiscal year, part of an effort to address a looming $11.2 billion budget shortfall.

In a Veterans Day rally, advocates emphasized that veterans are among the state’s estimated 408,000 elderly and disabled residents who depend on IHSS benefits. They characterized IHSS as a cost-saver because they said it helps residents avoid more costly nursing facilities. The rally crowd of 100 people included IHSS recipients, labor leaders and home-care workers.

By Jane E. Brody in the New York Times:

It’s estimated that between 20 million and 50 million family members in the United States are serving as caregivers to people who are unable to care for themselves, providing an estimated $237 billion in unpaid services each year.

A recent report from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health found that most of these people have more than a full-time job taking care of their loved ones, yet fewer than 5 percent of them used caregiver support groups or respite care. Studies have also found that the stress of caregiving can increase a person’s risk of depression and anxiety, and result in a greater incidence of hospitalizations. An excerpt:

… Family caregivers must be emotionally prepared for outbursts from patients who, in anger or frustration, may accuse them of not doing enough or not doing things right. The best response is to ignore the charges and simply say, “How can I make you more comfortable?” But there are days when even the best caregiver cannot muster the best response. Those are the days to rely on whatever network you have to give yourself a break.

Editors at the Baltimore Sun say families of children with disabilities have reason to be doubtful about Gov. Sarah Palin’s pledge to be their “friend and advocate.”

What they need, first and foremost, is for politicians to put money where their mouth is — starting with support services and related community-based programs. Advocates estimate there are about 600,000 people nationwide on waiting lists for such benefits as job coaching, vocational rehabilitation, personnel assistants and respite care for exhausted caregivers.

… The candidates’ views on these matters are reflected on their Web sites. Mr. Obama’s includes a nine-page treatise on his plans to help the disabled, including full funding for special education. Mr. McCain’s 14 core campaign issues include the Second Amendment and the space program but not the disabled.

Mr. McCain still has time to come around on these issues and offer specific remedies in the weeks ahead. Having a poster mom for families caring for a disabled child on the ticket is not enough — particularly for aging seniors who can no longer care for middle-aged children. Friendship is nice, but families need a government willing to invest more in the future of children who require a little help if they are to live full and productive lives.