The growing shortage of paid caregivers has become increasingly apparent over the past several months. Now, we are seeing evidence of the most direct consequence of that scarcity: The cost of care, especially for those living at home, is rising faster than it has in years. According to the newly released Genworth cost of care survey, the cost of homemaking [...]
The long-predicted shortage of personal care aides is here. And it is creating enormous challenges for frail older adults and people with disabilities living at home as well as for operators and residents of nursing homes and assisted living facilities. This shortage inevitably will drive up costs for services that already are unaffordable for many consumers. They will increase financial [...]
Many home health aides and other direct care workers are going to get raises. An important court decision on Friday, an aggressive lobbying campaign by unions, more generous state minimum wage laws, and—perhaps most important of all—growing demand for paid home care by consumers—will inevitably drive up wages for these aides. The question is: How will older adults, younger people [...]
Should the aides who provide home care for frail elders and younger people with disabilities receive a living wage and decent benefits? If they do, how can families, who often are unable to afford care today, be expected to pay those higher wages and benefits? Should the market be allowed to set these prices, or should government intervene through minimum [...]