The past few weeks have proven to be a battle for home care, as a unprecedented string of severe weekend snowstorms waged a ware with home care’s ability to protect its elder in need.

Home Care won the battle.

As we all watched an endless loop of snowplows on television and heard countless stories of public transportation problems and school closings, it reminded me why home care is invisible to most. Our workers are outside of the public eye, inside those homes, behind the passing plows and emergency vehicles.

Some of those workers stayed 16-24 hours waiting for relief that was delayed or unable to get there. Home care workers who relied on public transportation walked in blizzard conditions to get to clients in need. They shoveled snow and made critical decisions with the help of on-call and nursing staff. They are our “other first responders”.

Home care has seen a major transformation over the last five years. Patient acuity levels have risen in dramatic fashion during that time. Every day we help consumers transition from nursing homes and other institutions to their home, sometimes with 24/7 in-home care. The demographics tell us this will continue.

These changes come with substantial additional costs to home care agencies. In many cases double what they were just five years ago. The increased necessity of nursing supervision, service plans, patient transfers and expanded on-call capabilities all bear heavily on the financial health of home care agencies. Unfunded liabilities such as the Affordable Care Act and the impending sick time law add to that burden. In addition, the state pays a discounted rate to agencies for cases exceeding 42 hours weekly.

Home Care agencies incur many costs in the process of recruiting, screening, training, and retaining their direct care workforce. These costs include advertising, interviewing, reference checks, CORI, health screening, testing, orientation, and training.

All businesses incur hiring costs. What makes these costs uniquely burdensome in home care is employee turnover. Up to 50% of first-time workers leave within 2 months. Why? The work is hard and the pay is low. It can be an emotional attachment and can provide satisfaction and fulfillment in helping others. They are our home care workers.

Kevin Hunter is the President of Anodyne Homemaker Services and gave these remarks as part of the South Shore Elder Services Legislative Breakfast. This forum enabled legislators to see the challenges facing home care agencies as they care for seniors in our communities.

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