The COVID-19 pandemic clearly illustrated how essential nursing aides, homecare workers and nursing assistants are to society. At the same time, these workers earn low wages and few benefits. As more Americans become elderly and the industry of direct care suffers high rates of turnover, a workforce shortage in nursing care assistants looms.
Robert Espinoza, Vice President of Policy at PHI National, joined the America’s Work Force Union Podcast to discuss the plight of direct care workers and what can be done to address the labor shortage in this job market.
A call for political advocacy
PHI National represents workers in the direct care workforce, specifically healthcare workers such as homecare workers and nursing aides for the elderly and disabled. Much needs to be done to improve funding and pay in the industry, Espinoza contends.
For the last 30 years, PHI has done research and advocacy to promote the concerns of such workers.
Last month, the group issued the Federal Policy Priorities for the Direct Care Workforce, a report that issued 47 concrete recommendations for the White House, Congress and key federal departments.
The report addressed how an administration can support direct care workers through better financing and data improvement, Espinoza said. It comes at a critical time for the country as COVID-19 clearly illustrated how essential these workers are, and yet undervalued at the same time, Espinoza pointed out.
The group has been in dialogue with the Biden administration since January. They are looking at better ways to support workers in the direct care economy, including through higher pay, improved working conditions and more accessible and sustainable home healthcare services.
The group testified before Congress last month about what could be done. The reaction was supportive. If the floor is not raised for these workers, older Americans will suffer through substandard care, Espinoza said.
Labor shortage means lack of quality care
Low wages and poor benefits cause the direct care industry to suffer from frequent turnover, Espinoza said. The median wage remains at $12 per hour and when adjusted for inflation has only increased 30 cents in the last decade, he said.
With about 10,000 Americans qualifying for Medicare every day, a crisis is forming, Espinoza explained. With low pay and high turnover, the likelihood of finding quality workers becomes less plausible, he said. It is a crisis that affects all of us, he pointed out.
The PHI report estimates that between 2019 and 2029, 7.4 million job openings will need to be filled in the direct care field. If the jobs continue to remain low in quality, finding skilled workers will be a long-term challenge, Espinoza stated.
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