Home care workers in NY state deserve better pay

Dear Editor:

Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic and the tragic 19,000-plus deaths of New York nursing home residents, individuals have been seeking to remain at home in increasing numbers.

Unfortunately, New York’s current home care workforce is severely underfunded and understaffed. The average wage of home care workers is $13 an hour. They earn a median annual salary of $22,000, and 42% live in or near poverty, Meanwhile, 24% of home care eligible individuals are unable to access care due to a shortage in the workforce.

The demand for these services will only increase as the population ages. Over the next decade, a projected 981,900 openings will need to be filled statewide for home health aides and personal care aides.

A proposal by state legislators, referred to as the Fair Pay for Home Care Act, would increase home care wages to 150% of an area’s minimum wage across New York state. A recent report by the CUNY School of Labor and Urban Studies, analyzing such spending (including wage, health care and payroll tax costs) found it would generate $5.4 billion in net economic benefits through new tax revenue, public assistance savings, reduced workforce turnover and economic spillover.

Investing in home and community-based services is as much a public health solution as it is a cost-saving measure to the state. The demand for care exists. The job openings are there. A solution is in front of us.

Keith Gurgui Systems Advocate Resource Center for Accessible

Living Town of Ulster