“There is now a consistent pattern of data showing that homecare workers receiving benefits have a lower rate of attrition and, therefore, a higher rate of stability,” says the latest report from the Los Angeles County In-Home Supportive Services (IHSS) program.
Impact of Health Benefits on Retention of Homecare Workers: Analysis of the IHSS Health Benefits Program in LA County (pdf) is a follow-up to four reports from 2003-2006, which showed that offering medical benefits to the IHSS home care workers reduced turnover.
The present study, a five-year longitudinal retention analysis, echoes those findings. It also teases out more detail, comparing work patterns for workers who enrolled in the benefits program with those who did not, identifying traits that predict who will enroll, tracking changes in enrollment over time, and more.
The findings are significant because “The success of any kind of in-home supportive services depends on having an experienced and well-trained and committed workforce - you can’t have people stay out of institutions if there’s no workforce to take care of them at home,” says Joanne Holland, a senior clinical specialist at RTZ Associates Inc. “It’s such important work, but it’s not a high-paying position. And a lot of people are able to stay in the work because of these health care benefits.”
The study found that nearly half (45%) of the workers who enrolled in the plan were still in the workforce at the five-year mark, compared with only about a third (35%) of those who were eligible for benefits but had not enrolled.
“The stability of the workforce means you have better workers because they’re been doing it longer,” adds Holland. “It also makes for better relationships with consumers, so it’s a better experience for them.” RTZ Associates wrote the report.
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Elise Nakhnikian, PHI, Senior Online Editor
enakhnikian@phinational.org
This study is another in the mounting evidence that providing health care to direct care workers is a stabilizing factor. Health care benefits will cost money, but will also not only save money in the long-run due to lower turnover costs, but will also, and most importantly, improve the quality of care for consumers. It is a message that we need to continually get out to policymakers reminding them of their obligation to make the changes we need for quality care. The RTZ study comes at a very good time.