NMDCC Instrumental in Extending Minimum Wage and Overtime Protection to Direct Caregivers
Federal Plan Would Lift Wages of Home Care Workers
BY: THE ASSOCIATED PRESS | NATION | DECEMBER 15, 2011
WASHINGTON — The Obama administration is seeking to extend minimum wage and overtime protections to cover home health care workers, a move that would boost living standards for nearly 2 million domestic employees but could mean higher costs for the elderly and disabled.
Labor Secretary Hilda Solis was expected to announce the proposal Thursday at a White House ceremony.
Home care aids have been exempt from federal wage laws since 1974, when they were considered companions to the elderly and compared to neighborhood baby sitters. But the number of full-time home care workers has surged along with the growing number of retirees who need help with a range of daily tasks, from taking the right medication to getting cleaned and dressed.
"These are real jobs as part of a huge and growing industry," said Steve Edelstein, National Policy Director for the Paraprofessional Healthcare Institute in New York. "They deserve same basic labor protections that other workers enjoy."
Unions and advocacy groups say nearly half of all home care workers live at or below the poverty level and receive public benefits such as food stamps and Medicaid. Poor working conditions, low wages and high turnover make it challenging to meet the growing demand to provide care for the elderly in their homes instead of in institutions.
With the size of the U.S. population over 65 expected to nearly double in the next 20 years, millions more will rely on long-term health care from domestic workers.
Health services companies that employ home care workers have opposed efforts to expand hour and wage laws, arguing that it would drive up costs for elderly clients who can ill afford it.
"We are in full support of adequate and fair wages of those doing such admirable work," said Jordan Lindsey, a spokesman for the California Association for Health Services at Home. "However, it needs to be carefully balanced with the unique needs of seniors and people with disabilities who need home care and keeping that type of care affordable."
For a patient with dementia who needs 24-hour care, for example, a family is currently allowed to pay home aids at a flat hourly rate. If overtime rules apply, Lindsey said it could triple the cost of care.
Once the Labor Department formally proposes the new rules, there will be a 60-day period for public comments. The rules could take effect early next year.
The Clinton administration initially tried to extend federal wage rules to home aids, but President George W. Bush stopped the effort.
Copyright 2011 The Associated Press
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Direct Care Quality Job Improvement Act
The New Mexico Direct Caregivers Coalition supports the Direct Care Job Quality Improvement Act of 2011, now being considered by Congress (H.R. 2341).
We asked agencies and caregivers throughout New Mexico to join us in a letter to members of the New Mexico congressional delegation. See the letter by
clicking here.
Direct care is one of the fastest growing professions in our nation, and investing in these jobs will help rebuild our national and local economy. This bill will extend wage and overtime protections to home care workers, people have been denied justice under the Fair Labor Standards Act to date. Caregivers provide indispensable care and services to the elderly and individuals living with disabilities. Yet, too often, poor working conditions lead to high (50-80%) turnover in the workforce, jeopardizing the quality of care provided to those who need it most.
The Direct Care Job Quality Improvement Act was introduced by Senator Robert P. Casey, Jr. and Representative Linda Sanchez. Thus far, Senators Tom Harkin, Kirsten Gillibrand and Bernie Sanders have signed on as co-sponsors.
In addition to extending basic labor protections to home care workers, the bill strengthens data collection and workforce monitoring in order to improve direct care workforce recruitment and retention. The bill also provides for grants to states for worker training.
Personal and home care aides are the second fastest-growing occupation both nationally and in New Mexico. Figures from the U.S. Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics indicate that in 2006, there were 21,520 New Mexicans whose primary occupation was nursing assistant, home health aide or personal care/home care aide. Annual job openings for these occupations are expected to increase 58 percent between 2006 and 2016. This figure translates to 6,190 additional job openings in New Mexico for personal and home care aides by the year 2016.
The direct care workforce must be stable enough to support this growth, with competitive wages that make the field an attractive one to qualified jobseekers.
Help us lead the way in New Mexico to provide for stability in the direct care workforce for persons who are elderly and those with disabilities.
To view the letter,
click here. If you would like more information,
click here.
Personal Care & Support Credential by DCA
The Direct Care Alliance Personal Care and Support Credential is a competency-based test for personal assistance workers in home and community-based settings. The credential is a crucial step in professionalizing the direct care workforce. It will create a career ladder for workers; help improve the quality of care for elders and people living with disabilities; and become a valuable tool for employers and agencies struggling to meet the demand for personal care and support services in their communities.
This credential will be offered to New Mexico caregivers on June 2nd. For more information,
click here.
Read an article from the New York Times that covers Direct Care Alliance's Personal Care and Support Credential. For more information or to sign up to take the exam,
click here.
It is an oddity of American health care: Many nursing homes and home care agencies do not provide health insurance to their workers, or they pay wages so low that employees cannot afford the coverage that is offered.
The new health care law is supposed to fix the problem by guaranteeing access to affordable coverage for all. But many nursing homes and home care agencies, alarmed at the cost of providing health insurance to hundreds of thousands of health care workers, have started a lobbying effort seeking some kind of exemption or special treatment.
During National Family Caregivers Month, we honor the millions of Americans who give endlessly of themselves to provide for the health and well-being of a beloved family member. Through their countless hours of service to their families and communities, they are a shining example of our Nation's great capacity to care for each other. Click the link above to read more about President Obama declaring October National Family Caregivers Month.
The U.S. Department of Labor’s Employment and Training Administration has approved national guidelines for apprenticeship standards for the occupation of direct support professional. These standards will enable employers to use ETA’s Registered Apprenticeship program to train workers for careers in the long-term care sector of the health care industry.
A recent report from the Engelberg Center for Health Care Reform at The Brookings Institution found several ways to improve care for elders. On Direct care workers:
“An investment in the direct-care workforce represents a key opportunity for improving integration between medical services and social supports,” the authors write. While “nearly half of the nation’s spending on long-term care services and supports” pays for these workers, this workforce is “insufficiently trained, underpaid, and underutilized.”
The report highlights the critical need for training models that better prepare the direct-care workforce — particularly training that promotes integrated care and improves chronic care and geriatric capacity. The authors explain that “new training opportunities could lead to expanded care responsibilities and reduce overall health care costs by allowing doctors to focus on targeted medical services.”
Click the link above to read more.
