Wages Adjusted for Inflation: Over the past decade, inflation-adjusted median hourly wages for Nursing Aides, Orderlies, and Attendants in Connecticut have stagnated. Real wages for Home Health Aides decreased slightly while those for Personal Care Aides decreased significantly.
Employer-Sponsored Insurance: Compared to the national civilian workforce, fewer of Connecticut’s direct-care workers have access to and use employer-sponsored insurance. Some work for employers that do not offer health insurance. Others work for employers that limit eligibility for health insurance to full-time employees. This creates a barrier for many direct-care workers, especially those in home and community-based settings, who often work only part-time due to the episodic nature of direct-care work. Even workers who do have access to insurance from their employer may find the co-pays and premiums unaffordable.
HB 5325: This bill would amend the statutes to require that all classifications of home health aides be certified, and that the Department of Public Health establish a statewide registry for home health aides. (Introduced January 18, 2011)
HB 6486: This bill would establish a Personal Care Attendant (PCA) Workforce Council with the authority to recruit and train PCAs. This bill would also allow PCAs to collectively bargain and create a PCA registry. (Introduced February 25, 2011)
SB 913: This bill requires employers with fifty or more employees to provide paid sick leave to certain employees for use for the employee’s sickness, the employee’s child’s, parent’s or spouse’s sickness, or to deal with sexual assault or family violence issues. Nursing aides, home health aides, and personal care aides are covered by the definition of employees. (Signed July 1, 2011)
Executive Order 10: This executive order establishes a 7-member Personal Care Attendant Quality Home Care Workforce Council charged with studying issues related to improving the quality, stability, and availability of personal care attendants (PCAs) employed directly by consumers under the state’s Medicaid waiver programs. Specifically, the council can recruit PCAs; provide training and education to PCAs and consumers; and establish or operate PCA registries for assisting consumers in finding qualified workers. The executive order also allows PCAs to elect a Majority Representative for the purpose of non-binding discussions with the Council on issues such as compensation, and training and professional development. Lastly, the order establishes a working group that will issue a report to the Governor on how best to establish formal collective bargaining rights for PCAs. (Signed September 21, 2011)
Rewarding Work – Connecticut: Operated by Rewarding Work Resources, Inc. and overseen by the Connecticut Department of Disability Services, this matching service registry connects consumers and independent providers through an internet-based search service. It is free to individuals receiving services paid for by the Department.
When No One Cares: Why We Need to Save Connecticut’s Direct-Care Workforce (PDF): This May 2009 White Paper by the Senior Resources-Agency on Aging argues for increased investment in the state’s direct-care workforce in order to ensure access to quality care.
Connecticut Long-Term Care Needs Assessment Reports: These 2007/2008 reports by the University of Connecticut Health Center were authorized and funded by the CT General Assembly in its 2006 session. They provide an assessment of the state’s long-term care systems and emphasize the problem of frontline workforce shortages.