There’s a shortage of people who take care of our most vulnerable citizens
And it’s no wonder — the pay and support systems for direct support professionals are insufficient. A bill before Congress would help. The post There’s a shortage of people who take care of our most vulnerable citizens appeared first on MinnPost.
Did you know that 1 in 4 adults in Minnesota has a disability? Out of the disabled adults who are employed, a shocking 25% live below the poverty line. This is the unfortunate reality for many, resulting from a lack of workplace accommodations, low wages and physical restrictions that inhibit disabled employees from working additional hours.
Without a living wage, it’s challenging to survive, much less afford the support of a personal home health aide. Direct support professionals, or DSPs, are essential to the health and safety of our communities; their support allows disabled individuals to live fulfilling lives.
DSPs play a crucial role in the everyday lives of disabled individuals, assisting with personal tasks, such as teeth and hair brushing, cooking and public outings. The support provided by DSPs results in the safety and independence of our disabled and autistic community members. Just like everyone else, autistic and disabled individuals deserve to live a life where they can flourish.
While the work of DSPs is essential to so many families and individuals across the state of Minnesota, their wages severely undervalue the importance of their roles. According to Access Press, “Nationally, 40 percent of direct care workers live near the poverty line, and 43% of direct care workers rely on public benefits to get by.”
According to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Living Wage calculator, an hourly pay of $22.49 is considered livable for a single adult with no children in the Twin Cities metro, while $43.91 an hour is the wage required for one adult with one child. Yet, DSPs are currently paid $16.22 per hour, which is far below the stated living wage.
Due to the extreme shortfall in necessary compensation, our nation is now experiencing a detrimental hiring and retention crisis. As stated by Access Press, the national turnover rate for DSPs is between 40% and 60%.
In addition to unreasonable wages, retention difficulties and high turnover rates are caused by a “lack of professional development or career growth opportunities, … lack of benefits, and rising inflation/cost of living over the past two decades.” Another factor that greatly contributed to the DSP shortage was the COVID-19 pandemic. Many DSPs were faced with the stress and anxiety of transmitting the disease to their clients, resulting in many of these professionals leaving their occupations.
While this has become a national issue, the situation in Minnesota is particularly concerning. As stated by the Minnesota Department of Human Services, “Minnesotans in every region of the state are struggling to recruit and retain direct support professionals (DSPs)… numerous positions remain unfilled and shortages are predicted to get worse over the next 10 years.”
The work done by DSPs is far from simple. It is a highly personal role that is often accompanied by both physical and emotional stress. Whether they are witnessing disability discrimination or they are physically lifting their clients, DSPs personally experience the impact of their clients’ disabilities in a lot of ways.
DSPs are the driving force behind residential homes. Without DSPs, clients do not receive the support that they need, ultimately resulting in the shutdown of vital spaces, such as care facilities. When there are no DSPs, those who need long-term care are forced to move in with relatives, which poses the risk of inadequate care and support.
For some, living with relatives is simply not an option. When relatives are unable to provide support for those with disabilities, individuals of all ages are pushed into nursing homes. While this is concerning for a variety of reasons, one concern is that nursing homes are among the care facilities that are experiencing staffing shortages.
What happens when there is a staffing shortage? Ultimately, with fewer workers to take care of clients, there is a much greater risk of mistreatment, injury and errors. According to Access Press, “Direct care workers are vital to our economy and community as they reduce abuse, injuries, costly hospitalization and institutionalization of people with all types of disabilities, be they direct support professionals, personal care assistants, or ‘home health aides.’”
The Long-Term Care Workforce Support Act proposes legislation to aid DSPs by “improving caregiver compensation, benefits, and support systems.” This bill will greatly support DSPs as it aims to enhance workplace protection and wellness support, increase compensation, and address low Medicaid reimbursement rates.
In order to secure DSPs positions, it is up to us to show them our support. To support this bill, contact your local members of Congress. DSPs are essential to our healthcare system, and we need them to continue providing the care that they do.
Our community is stronger when everyone belongs.
Pam Dewey is a writer, editor, and content creator. She works at Fraser, a nonprofit that provides support services to people with autism, mental health issues and disabilities.
The post There’s a shortage of people who take care of our most vulnerable citizens appeared first on MinnPost.
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