NEWBURGH – They gathered at Independent Living, Inc. in the City of Newburgh on Wednesday seeking higher pay for health homecare workers to stem the shortage of these needed personnel.
Advocate Lolli Edinger said people in need are not being cared for as a result.
“The pay is too low, which means we can’t get enough people,” said Lolli Edinger, an advocate for health care aides. “People that would want to stay in the job can’t afford to.”
The Fair Pay for Homecare Campaign seeks a raise of 150 percent of the minimum, which means when pay rises to $14.20-per-hour soon, workers are seeking about $21-an-hour for a living, competitive wage.
Workers are normally paid through Medicaid and Medicare, programs administered by the state, which must approve any pay wage hikes.
It’s estimated 60 percent of these aides leave their jobs due to low or inadequate pay while 25 percent of the patients are unable to find the workers they need to help them. And currently, 20 percent of these jobs are unfilled due to staffing shortages.
