This is my first posting at DKos! I’m a long-time reader, first time poster. So go easy!
Caregivers are often forgotten, seldom appreciated, and horrendously underpaid. Caregivers working in Adult Foster Homes, Group Homes, Retirement Homes, and in In-Home Supports may have a lot of different reasons for doing what they do, but they all have one thing in common: poverty. Caring for the Elderly, the disabled, and the forgotten is not only physically demanding, but it can take a tremendous emotional toll; especially when a caregiver is especially invested in the work they do.
I've worked as a caregiver for the last 7 years in group homes for people with developmental disabilities and brain injuries. The work itself is highly rewarding and I've made many lasting bonds with the individuals I've supported over the years; in all honesty, the people I care for are a second family. Emotional investment and the building of bonds is a frequent occurrence among the coworkers I've had. For the last three-and-a-half years, I've been working for an agency that cares for a population that was born into stigma and hidden away at state hospitals from the 1950s until the 80s and 90s. With very little to no familial contact, caregivers are the only familiar faces that most of these individuals see. Unfortunately, high turnover means that these faces are only familiar for so long. I would argue that people with disabilities are the most marginalized, stigmatized, and forgotten segment of the population. The people I care for require total assistance. Just imagine every little task you perform for yourself each day; now imagine being completely unable to do any of those things without assistance. Want to tell someone you are in pain? You're hungry? You've had a bad day and just need someone to hold your hand, or give you a hug? Tough. Being non-verbal and non-ambulatory makes you extremely vulnerable to all sorts of awful things, and completely unable to express yourself and your needs.
The individuals I support are extremely well cared for. Not only are they guaranteed healthcare, housing, and food; they also receive 24/7/365 support. Medicaid pays for all of this, including my salary. But, over my short 7 years in the field at two different agencies, I have noticed a stark difference in the quality of care that I can only attribute to the pay that caregivers receive. The first agency I worked for was a private-for-profit deal. When I first started, pay was relatively good for the city I was living in, and I could afford all the things I needed. Sure it was no life of luxury, or even comfort, but it was adequate. Then the starting pay was dropped. As time went on and caregivers left, the quality of care provided by new hires dropped, big time. Eventually things got to the point where they were so bad I decided to quit. I kept in contact with the people I cared for and a couple of coworkers. I later found out about several instances of abuse and neglect that led to state intervention and closure. Now I'm well aware that correlation does not mean causation, but it was a strange coincidence at the very least. The agency I currently work for is a much larger non-profit entity that does a very good job at making sure the needs of the individuals we support are met. Pay is better than at my previous employer, but I still received food stamps and Medicaid and was frequently broke after I paid all my bills on pay day. As a young, single, childless male it is 'easier' for me to eek out a meager living for $11.50 an hour; the maximum wage paid. But I am in the minority. The overwhelming majority of my coworkers are single mothers that work two jobs, receive public assistance, and still cannot make ends meet. A couple coworkers in the past have even wound up living in their cars.
I don't speak for all caregivers by any means. We don't ask for much, we don't need recognition or praise. A lot of us don't even want it. What we do want, and here's where I speak for all caregivers, is a decent living wage. Being able to go home at the end of a mentally and emotionally taxing day and having to worry about keeping the lights on, or how groceries are going to be paid for, or how to put gas in the car is a reality for the vast majority of us. Being able to go home and unwind without having to worry about meeting your own basic needs is something that at the very least should be afforded to the people who care for society's forgotten.