The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Care work system deserves better
Gov. Kemp can sign budget to help address low wages, improve outcomes, fix flaws.
Caring for my grandmother was my first unplanned step into the world of caregiving. It was 2016, and the thought of being a care worker never crossed my mind. My grandmother had no insurance, but she had family to care for her, administer medications, dress her and more.
Little did I know the necessary act of love with my grandmother would predict a life deeply intertwined with giving and receiving care. Years later, in 2022, the roles reversed dramatically when, after I suffered a stroke, my young daughter became my caregiver. This cycle, where the lines between caregiver and care recipient blur, is a testament to the crucial need for empathetic investments in our care infrastructure that supports Georgians in every stage of life.
After my grandmother’s death in 2019, I committed myself to care and became a trained care worker. It didn’t take long for me to realize that care workers in Georgia are thrown into work with little to no traditional workplace protections. Earning $9 an hour and misclassified as an independent contractor within an agency, I was burdened with tasks well beyond my pay grade and training: administering medications, changing bedding and lifting patients. At the beginning of each tax season, thousands of dollars of tax debt awaited me. For the three years I was misclassified as a contractor, I never received a raise.
My experience isn’t unique to Georgia’s care workers. The care workforce suffers constant staff turnover, negatively affecting the Georgians who need care the most. Georgia stands at a critical moment, with more than 7,000 Georgians on the New Options and Comprehensive Support Waiver Programs waitlist, reflecting a dire need for expanded access to Home and Community-Based Services. As people age, the urgent demand for increased investment in elder waiver programs will only continue to soar. The U.S. Census Bureau estimates that more than 20% of Georgia’s population will be 60 or older by the year 2030, “an increase of almost 34 percent from 2012.”
The governor’s fiscal 2025 budget recommendation proposed nearly $120 million for rate increases in waiver programs. With this increased funding going to providers, some direct care workers might see their wages increase to about $16 an hour. Now that the General Assembly has passed the budget, Gov. Brian Kemp should sign it with these fully funded measures included and raise wages for care workers, improve outcomes for care recipients and begin mending the cracks in our broken care system.
In Georgia, direct-service professionals earn, on average, less than $11 an hour, which puts them well below the poverty line — a line I’m far too familiar with. Being a care worker in Georgia
means confronting the harsh undervaluation of caregiving professions. Despite my skills and dedication, the inadequate wages make it nearly impossible to cover living expenses and childcare, deterring me from remaining in a field I deeply respect and cherish.
The stroke altered my physical abilities and exposed the gaping holes in our care infrastructure. After a brief hospital stay, I was sent home in a Lyft, with no provisions for home rehabilitation, leaving my then-9-year-old daughter to fill roles no child should have to. This ordeal wasn’t just a personal tragedy; it symbolized a betrayal by a system meant to support and heal.
Now, as a gig worker and part-time independent care worker, I navigate a world of limited mobility and continued service to others, embodying the paradox of a caregiver in need of care. The drive to become a DSP remains strong, fueled by a belief that everyone deserves compassionate care — care that I was denied when I needed it most.
By increasing wages for direct-care workers and expanding access to HCBS, we can begin to patch the holes ripping the fabric of our care system. The recommended $16.70 per hour wage is not just a number; it’s a start that can pull dedicated professionals such as me out of poverty and allow us to serve without financial hardship. This proposed boost should be the floor, opening opportunities for further wage increases as our cost of living continues to rise.
At this crossroads, let us choose a path of dignity, respect and fair compensation for those who form the backbone of our care infrastructure. We urge Georgia to take a stand and help create a future in which care workers are empowered to provide the best care and be secure in their well-being and respected for their invaluable contributions to society.