Editorial

Governor: Direct caregivers deserve a ‘living wage’

Posted

Many of the most vulnerable people in our society are cared for by some of the strongest. Looking out for a child or adult with developmental disabilities can be trying for the caregivers who do this vital work. There are long shifts. Patience is beyond a virtue; it’s a job requirement. And the pay is, frankly, low.

In a political era defined by partisan bickering, on March 13 the Republican-led State Senate and Democratic-controlled Assembly both added $45 million to their proposed state budgets. The funds, not included in Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s spending plan, would provide a “living wage” to the dedicated caregivers who often serve as surrogate parents to people who are incapable of caring for themselves.

A vote on the state budget is expected by April 1. In it, the governor should include that $45 million.

Nationwide, in 2013, direct-care workers — including personal aides, home health aides and nursing assistants — comprised 70 to 80 percent of the paid personnel who provide long-term care for the elderly, people with disabilities and patients suffering from chronic medical conditions, according to a report by the Paraprofessional Healthcare Institute.

A 2015 report by the PHI found that there were more than 400,000 direct-care professionals in New York alone. The median hourly wages for personal-care and home-health aides in the state were $11.17 and $10.85, respectively. Fourteen percent of the workers didn’t have health insurance themselves, according to the analysis. And the demand for such workers in New York was expected to increase by 32 percent from 2014 to 2024, the report said.

Many service providers are nonprofit organizations that rely on Medicaid, but at the federal level there are a host of proposals to slash Medicaid funding. If that were to happen, without increased money set aside in the state budget, the providers would have to cut staff, reduce quality-of-life services, or both.

The system of care for the developmentally disabled has for years been far from perfect. Historically, low wages have forced quality caregivers to find other jobs because they are unable to support their families. The high turnover rates and staffing shortages have not only jeopardized state facilities’ ability to serve the people in them, but also disrupted the relationships the developmentally disabled have with their caregivers.

Lower wages can result in less-qualified professionals caring for the most vulnerable populations, which in some cases has led to abuse and neglect.

Former State Assemblyman Harvey Weisenberg, a Democrat from Long Beach, chronicled this harsh reality in 2013 during a floor debate in Albany, when he argued against a $90 million cut to the Office of People with Developmental Disabilities. He spoke of his son, Ricky, a non-verbal special-needs adult who is one of many who were abused at their care facilities, which are often short-staffed and lack proper training. Weisenberg noted that a majority of abuse allegations are not properly investigated. Cuomo and other legislative leaders restored the funding weeks later.

During his 25 years as the 20th District assemblyman, Weisenberg co-sponsored Jonathan’s Law — signed into law in 2007 by then Gov. Eliot Spitzer — which entitles parents and legal guardians access to all child-abuse investigation files and medical history records. The legislation is named for Jonathan Carey, who was crushed to death in the backseat of a van by a direct-care worker at Oswald D. Heck Developmental Center near Albany. The state employee had worked nearly 200 hours during a 15-day span without a day off.

Last year, a statewide coalition called #bfair2DirectCare, comprising people with disabilities such as autism, cerebral palsy and Down syndrome, as well as their family members, direct-care workers and other advocates, began rallying for a “living wage” for those caring for the special-needs population, traveling around the state for months. Weisenberg joined the cause.

The $45 million plan to boost direct caregivers’ pay has the support of State Sen. Todd Kaminsky, a Democrat from Long Beach, and Assemblywoman Melissa Miller, a Republican from Atlantic Beach who represents the 20th Assembly District. Miller has a son, Oliver, who suffered a stroke at birth and is now blind and endures daily seizures.

Increasing hourly rates for direct-care professionals would not fix the entire system. By better compensating caregivers, however, the state would foster a safer environment for those who need it the most.