Learn more about CFSS in Minnesota
On November 1, 2017, Andre Best of Best Home Care testified before a Senate committee about the shortage of at-home caregivers in the state. In his testimony, Best covered several topics regarding the recent staffing shortages of homecare workers in Minnesota.
Below is an outline of topics covered in Best’s testimony:
Dangers of the State’s Caregiver Shortage
He first covered the dangers this shortage of caregivers causes for those in need of services. When a home caregiver is absent, it is often very difficult to find a replacement. The traditional PCA model requires recipients to call their agency in order to find a replacement, which is not usually found quickly, and results in gaps in care that can be extremely dangerous for those who depend on it.
Pay Increases for Caregivers Offer an Incomplete Solution
Best explained that pay increases are not adequate enough incentives to solve these staffing shortages. Many home caregivers are part-time and work around 10-20 hours per week. Raises of a couple dollars per hour will not provide sufficient incentive to retain workers in the industry, so the incentive has to come from elsewhere.
The Promises of Technology
Best positioned technology developments as a possible solution for the shortages in staffing. The PCA On Demand mobile app allows recipients to connect with with caregivers instantly, as well as record their time and attendance. It also gives those in need the opportunity to “self-staff” up to two months in advance. Recipients are also able to establish criteria for their personal caregivers or browse through a list of caregiver profiles.
Individual Affiliations Divide the Labor Pool and Enrollment Delays Hurt Recipients
Best explained that we are underutilizing the existing workforce, because more than 75% of workers are employed part-time. Best suggested a possible solution to the caregiver shortage is to get these individuals working full time. This could be accomplished by removing the barriers preventing workers from working for any agency in the State. Best suggested that after initial enrollment a PCA should be able to work with any recipient in the State. When coupled with the PCA On Demand app, this would give recipients access to all the workers in the State.
Best Home Care specializes in finding quality homecare for seniors, the disabled, and children. By addressing this shortage of personal care assistants before the senate committee, Andre Best hopes to make a difference in providing even better care for those in need of homecare services.
At Best Home Care, we know that having peace of mind that your loved ones are in good hands makes a world of difference and we want to make it easier than ever to find the ideal home caregivers for each individual. For more information on our services or to learn more about the PCA On Demand app, be sure to visit our website, or for any questions feel free to call us at (651) 330-2550, or email us at info@besthomecaremn.com.
