Direct Care Workers Deserve Career Opportunities
It's awful to feel stuck without opportunities that reward good work.
Imagine: You hard work every day, becoming an expert in your field. Yet, your industry doesn't have a career path or opportunities for advancement or even pay raises so you receive a salary you can live on.
That's the life of a direct care worker. Direct care workers adjust to uncertainty with their work conditions and with their schedule. They care for clients during their last years, including during their last days, and yet receive little support for their grief.
It seems direct care workers can only count on long hours, low pay and the same job every day for years.
No wonder we have a problem with turn-over rates. According to HCP’s 2023 benchmarking report, the home care turnover rate is 77.1%.
Last summer, three colleagues (Dr. Sheryl Strasser from Georgia State University and Moin Vahora and Dr. Minakshi Raj, both from University of Illinois) and I began interviewing Executive Directors of home care agencies and direct care workers. The interviews reflect what we know direct care workers want: Career opportunities. They want to be recognized and promoted. They want a better life for themselves and their families.
I believe direct care workers can become coaches -- for their peers and for family caregivers. We've been diligently submitting grant applications in search of funding to train direct care workers to become caregiving coaches. We believe our sustainable model creates support funnels for direct care works and family caregivers.
Health Affairs recently published our research and our initiatives to provide career opportunities for direct care workers.
We need direct care workers. We also need to invest in programs that ensure these direct care workers can build a caring, rewarding and lucrative career.
When have you yearned for a promotion or raise but just hit brick walls?
Resources
Check out our sale on our Certified Caregiving Guide and Conflict Resolution Strategist training programs. Sale ends May 31.