For Immediate Release
May 5, 2010

Contact:
Deane Beebe, PHI Media Relations Director
646.285.1039 / dbeebe@PHInational.org
Amy Robins, PHI Massachusetts State Director
857-939-9875 / arobins@PHInational.org

Poor Job Quality and Potentially Fewer Women Workers Entering Labor Force Present Challenges, Lawmakers Told

Boston, MA — Massachusetts will need nearly 23,000 more direct-care workers by 2016, but demographic changes and the quality of these jobs present challenges to meeting the rapidly rising demand for these workers, Dorie Seavey, PhD, PHI director of policy research, said today at a legislative briefing on the state’s direct-care workforce.

There are 100,000 direct-care workers — nursing aides, orderlies, and attendants; home health aides; and personal care aides — that provide long-term services and supports to elders and people living with disabilities in Massachusetts. The direct-care workforce is the state’s second largest occupational group — greater than nurses, and school teachers from preschool to grade 12 — and ranks sixth of occupations that are expected to add the most new positions.

“The demand for direct-care jobs is increasing dramatically. We need to understand more about these workers and their employers in order to ensure that we have the workforce we need to care for elders and people with disabilities,” said State Senator Patricia Jehlen, co-chair of the Joint Committee on Elder Affairs, which co-sponsored the briefing with the Joint Committee on Labor and Workforce Development. “The briefing today was a great start.”

“Direct-care workers play a crucial role in our society, caring for elders and people with disabilities. As legislators, we need to pay more attention to workers like these,” said State Representative Alice Wolf, co-chair of the Joint Committee on Elder Affairs.

The combination of this large-scale, low-income workforce, a high demand for new positions, and heavy public reimbursement for eldercare and disability services will lead to strong and ongoing, private-sector job creation and other economic benefits, Dr. Seavey told lawmakers. Yet, there are challenges, she explained.

The number of women who are entering this workforce between the ages of aged 25-54 — the people who typically fill direct-care jobs — is declining.

Direct-care jobs are among the state’s lowest paying jobs, provide inadequate health care coverage, and have inconsistent training requirements that are not aligned with wages. The hours are unpredictable and often only part-time. Consequently, Massachusetts direct-care workers are forced to rely on public benefits, Seavey said.

“We need to strengthen the quality of these jobs so that they reflect the importance of this work and these jobs to Massachusetts families and communities.” Seavey said. “To do that we need legislators to join together to do two things: ‘raise the floor’ for these jobs in terms of compensation and training standards and help ‘build ladders’ that offer direct-care workers job mobility, specialized training, and even new roles as part of redesigned care teams.”

“The challenges we face in long-term care are endless,” said Rosemary McLaughlin, executive director at Marina Bay Skilled Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in Quincy and a briefing panelist. “Ultimately, our job is to provide the best care we can to our residents. We need well-trained, dedicated direct-care workers to make that happen. Today was an opportunity to remind the legislature about the importance of this industry and the importance of this workforce.”

“Just because you get older does not mean you should have to give up your dignity. The direct-care workforce is instrumental in that effort. I really appreciated the opportunity to talk with the legislature today about the important service my workers perform,” said panelist Paul Dzialo, president and CEO of Affinity Home Care.

“PHI appreciates that the legislators have taken the time to learn more about the Massachusetts’ direct-care workforce,” said PHI Massachusetts State Director Amy Robins. “The briefing was an important step toward ensuring that Massachusetts is prepared to care for residents who are elderly or living with a disability and in need of long-term services and supports.”

The briefing was sponsored by the joint legislative committees in collaboration with PHI; Home Care Alliance of Massachusetts; MassAging; MassALFA (Assisted Living Facilities Association); Massachusetts Council for Home Care Aide Services; Massachusetts Senior Care Alliance; and SEIU/1199.

More information on the direct-care workforce is available at PHI, including PHI’s Massachusetts Fact Sheet (pdf).

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PHI (www.phinational.org) works to improve the lives of people who need home and residential care—and the lives of the workers who provide that care. Using our workplace and policy expertise, we help consumers, workers, employers, and policymakers improve eldercare and disability services by creating quality direct-care jobs. Our goal is to ensure caring, stable relationships between consumers and workers, so that both may live with dignity, respect, and independence.