Caregiving Well Positioned to Boost Economy

PRESS RELEASE
For Immediate Release
Download press release (pdf)

New York, February 4, 2009— Noting that low-income women are left out of the current economic recovery plans that focus exclusively on shovel-ready projects, PHI is asking Congress to expand its job creation program to include direct-care services for elders and people with disabilities.

In an information packet (pdf) delivered to the Hill, PHI notes that investing in direct-care jobs will:

• Get money quickly into the hands of low-wage workers, particularly women, who will spend it on goods and services.
• Stabilize a critical part of our health care infrastructure.
• Ensure that growing numbers of older Americans and people with disabilities get the care they need.

Graphic from the packet showing "shovel-ready" direct-care workers

“By 2016, we will need 1 million additional workers to provide services to elders and people with disabilities. At 4 million, this workforce will be larger than K-12 teachers,” says national policy director Steven Edelstein. “If we improve the quality of these jobs, it will help our economic recovery by putting more money into the hands of workers who will spend it.”

PHI has asked Congress to strengthen the American economy and prepare America to care for its aging population by taking the following actions:

• Improve direct-care jobs by improving compensation, with a target of ensuring that all direct-care workers earn at least $12 an hour and have health insurance.
• Extend federal minimum wage and overtime protections to home care aides.
• Target the eldercare/disability services industry in sectoral and workforce development efforts, directing federal training money toward direct-care worker training, job placement, and retention activities.
• Provide grants to states to enhance and upgrade the content of direct care worker training and to expand and improve their training infrastructure.

Related materials:

• FACTS 1: Occupational Projections for Direct-Care Workers 2006-2016 (pdf)
• FACTS 2: Eldercare/Disability Services: Untapped Engine for Job Creation and Economic Growth (pdf)
• FACTS 3: Who Are Direct Care Workers? (pdf)

About PHI:
PHI works to improve the lives of people who need home or residential care—by improving the lives of the workers who provide that care. For more information, visit www.PHInational.org.

Contacts:
Karen Kahn
PHI Director of Communications
978.740.9844
kkahn@PHInational.org

Steve Edelstein
National Policy Director
718. 402-7413,
sedelstein@PHInational.org