Raise your hand if you have suffered with Caregivers not showing up at all or not showing up on time and requiring an unusual amount of time off, yet they always want more hours.

In the words of my daughter, “Same!”

I feel your same pain and pressures. I run a home care agency with a special twist in helping families bridge the gap in understanding what Long-Term Care means and how to implement it into their lives.

The aide issue is a complicated problem to fix. I’ve tossed it over and over in my head.

First, we are up against the stigma of being a home aide, which I find odd. Considering they are the essential back bone in helping seniors at stay home and healthy. They have the least amount of job satisfaction and the least amount paid. Potentially, they have no health benefits with no room to grow or be promoted.  Yet they are in high demand. Any aide with any type of certification, that can pass a drug test and a background check can be hired in less than a week. This adds to the pain of why aides call off so often. They usually go to the highest bidder with the most hours until they become unhappy.

I realized I can’t fix the problem, but I can start conversations with the hopes to improve the salary and training for Home Health Aides.

I will give you a few hints:

The job requires an aide who cares about the work. Make no mistake you have to have a passion/respect for human life. I’m not saying they have to be Mother Theresa. I am saying they must have the heart for this type of job. Dealing with people with chronic illness takes a special talent.

With that being said, the family must be respectful of the aide. I love to use the  word “Expectations” Lets set clear expectations.

This were I get on my soap box. There needs to be training done from high  school to an abbreviated associates degree tied to being an aide. We need to start talking about the importance to this role and spell clear avenues for an aide to grow in the health field. With the dawn of telehealth and a well trained aide, the saving are real. The investment should be easy. We can keep more seniors, the disabled and mentally challenged home and monitored by physicians with less expense to the health care system. ( I live and breathe this model everyday)

If you are feeling frustrated by not having enough aides to help. I feel your pain. But know this, we are at the dawn of change. Keep pushing, keep asking questions of your aides. More importantly, when you look for medical insurance or when you are ready to vote for a public leader ask them, “What is your stance on providing home care. How are you helping non-Medicaid families with keeping their loved ones home?”

The more we talk about the issue, the more light we can shine on the issue and perhaps the long needed reform can happen.

Stay Inspired,

Shonda