Caring for an aging family member at home is getting more
difficult in Westchester and the Hudson Valley due to a shortage of home health
care workers due to wage issues.
Currently, most home health care workers get paid minimum
wage, about $12.50 an hour. They don't have benefits or paid sick leave.
Advocates are hoping the state Senate and Assembly will pass
the "Fair Pay For Home Care Act" in Albany. It will help those who
care for the elderly and people with disabilities get a living wage. On Monday,
leaders from Westchester and the Hudson Valley on both sides of the aisle held
a roundtable meeting via Zoom to discuss the issue.
The Fair Pay bill would raise wages for workers to at least
$22.50 an hour in New York state. Many are hoping it will be passed in next
year's state budget.
"It is something we have to change,” says state Sen.
Michelle Hinchey (D-46th District). “We have to support the workers who are
doing these incredibly difficult and often draining jobs…Who do it for the love
of caring for others.”
Health care advocates say there is a shortage of about
25,000 workers. They say it could grow to 80,000 by 2025 if nothing is done.