Wages will be raised in 2022 for the elderly and those who care for people with disabilities at home, but even the biggest supporters of the plan called it the first step, not the best result.
The Colorado Health Services Commission unanimously voted on December 10 to raise the amount the state pays for home care through Medicaid and use that money to pay at least $ 15 per hour to those who provide health care. I requested the institution. Home-based services are cheaper for the state than nursing home care, and older people tend to prefer to stay there.
Previously, the state did not set a basic salary for certified care workers. The agency only had to pay the overall minimum wage of $ 12.32 across the state, or the municipal minimum wage if it was higher. State officials estimate that about 47% of direct care workers receive some form of public support due to their low income.
The Federal COVID-19 recovery fund will allow the Colorado Department of Health Policy and Finance to fund the increase by mid-April 2023. At the budget request of Governor Jared Polis.
Laurin Chevalier, founder of People Care Health Services and director of the Colorado Home Health Hospice Association, said the increase would affect an estimated 10,000 to 15,000 workers.
Even if they approve plans for temporary recruitment, it is not enough for some board members to hire and retain workers in difficult areas where demand increases as the population ages. He expressed concern that there was.
“We are competing with Stars Bucks for $ 17 an hour and McDonald’s for $ 15,” board member Dave Pump said before the vote. “It’s not well advanced, but it’s much better than it used to be.”
Denver’s direct care worker, Cody Jakubowski, said the increase did not solve the problem of low wages, but it is progressing. A $ 15 base salary doesn’t affect him because his current privately funded client already offers more, but other care workers are responsible for the family not leaving time to be involved in advocacy. Because of that, he participated in a campaign to raise wages.
“Hopefully that means an easier step to $ 17 an hour and $ 20 an hour,” said Jakubowski. “The Medicaid caregiver takes care of the Medicaid client.”
Jakubowski, who said he lives in a van, said it was a strange kind of privilege to have that option to get on with low wages. For the first time, he has a small savings cushion.
“There are a significant portion of certified care workers who are homeless,” said Jakubowski.
However, he added that most direct care workers he knows have children and abandoning rent cannot reduce their costs.
According to a 2019 report by the Paraprofessional Healthcare Institute, about 87% of home care workers are female, with a higher proportion of colored or migrants than the entire workforce.
The Joint Budget Committee has already voted in favor of the temporary hike, but chairman Julie McCluskey said it was too early to know which demands the members would prioritize.
“At this moment, I think it’s important for us to think about frontline workers and essential workers,” she said.
Candice Bailey, Head of Home and Community Services, Colorado Health Policy and Finance Department, said the state will investigate whether $ 15 will meet its goal of increasing the home health workforce. But she expects a further increase.
The Federal COVID-19 Recovery Fund has provided “unique funding opportunities” to retain more caregivers, said Jessica Coral, a participant-led program contract specialist at HCPF. .. She said the state’s population is aging and the number of people working in direct care is not keeping up.
“If we don’t increase our workforce, older people and people with disabilities will continue to struggle to access long-term care,” she said.
Brenda Rosada, a direct healthcare provider living in Aurora, said she was grateful for her efforts to raise her base salary, but $ 15 an hour is not enough to cover Colorado’s basics. Living near the bus stop can reduce the cost of getting to and from the client’s home or a nursing home where she works part-time, she said.
“You have people doing two and three jobs just to keep the roof on their heads,” she said.
Workers who take care of vulnerable people directly need other support, such as paid medical leave for sick leave, Rosada said. Sometimes she got a job when she was feeling sick.
“I was the only earner in my family and I had to work,” she said. “When I feel sick when I go to work, I can’t do my best first, and then (the client) can get sick.”
This increase applies only to those who care for Medicaid’s customers, but institutions that serve out-of-pocket customers are likely to have to raise wages to compete for workers. Chevalier said.
“It really establishes a new floor,” he said.
Andy Cross, Denver Post
Home care worker Cody Jakubowski (left) is attending a video conference with the union representative of the van in which he lives, parked in City Park, Denver on December 8, 2021. ..
In addition to benefits such as medical insurance and mileage refunds, it is likely that an additional $ 21 hourly Medicaid rate will be required to be paid to agents to fund further wage increases. Chevalier said. Colorado also needs to invest in ways to create a “career ladder” for home health care workers. Home healthcare professionals may not be able to afford a community college class if they want to improve their skills.
According to Rosada, they often don’t understand how much it will cost to meet the needs of home care clients and may even compare them to babysitters. It’s her favorite job, but it’s not easy. In addition to helping with hygiene and chores, including cooking and cleaning, she must be aware of the dangers to her clients.
In one case, Rosada told a male client with unstable feet to stay on the couch while going to get something in the kitchen. When he overestimated his balance and started to get up, he had to run away to catch him. Other clients are interested in them and need someone to provide dating and physical care that is not available to their families, she said.
“Babysitters are far from what we are doing,” she said. “We need to be more respected and grateful.”
