Next time someone asks you how to find a good home care worker, you might try referring them to this article.
Written by care recipient Laura Hershey for the Disaboom Network, an online resource for people with disabilities, the article is a realistic and respectful collection of tips on how to attract and keep a caregiver. In addition to discussing where to place ads and how to word them, Hershey recommends that employers pay well if possible and offer regular raises.
She also recommends advocating for better wages, health care coverage, and other benefits for direct care workers. “Granted, this is a longer-term strategy; it’s not going to get you a new personal care attendant tomorrow,” she writes. “On the other hand, when your current personal care attendants see you advocating for their rights, they just might think they have a pretty cool boss — and that might encourage them to want to keep their job.”
Elise Nakhnikian
Communications Director
Direct Care Alliance
