New York is facing a crisis in the home care industry. The population of older residents is increasing, and there is a growing desire among the elderly and disabled – especially during the pandemic – to remain at home rather than in a congregate setting. At the same time, the state is facing a shortage of home health aides, in large part due to low wages. In a letter shared exclusively with City & State, offices for the aging from 40 counties across the state are calling on Gov. Kathy Hochul to support legislation that would increase the rate of pay for home care workers paid through Medicaid in an effort to attract people to the field, and to keep them from leaving.
The Fair Pay for Homecare Act would set base pay for home health aides at 150% the local minimum wage, which would allow workers to get at least $35,000 a year, according to the elder and disability advocacy organization PHI. Currently, many in the industry make as little as $21,300 a year, working long hours while providing crucial care. Around 42% live in or near poverty, according to a fact sheet by PHI, often qualifying for Medicaid themselves. The low rate of pay makes retention of workers difficult, as less demanding jobs could offer more money. As it stands, a report by the consulting firm Mercer shows that New York has the worst home care crisis in the nation. “I think it's become this perfect storm of there's so much demand for the workforce, but there's also so much competition from other...
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