Home care in Washington D.C. has been facing problems, from underpaid workers to lack of renewed certifications.
According to Michael Thompson, a home care provider for 10 years, the industry suffers from a severe lack of oversight that can lead to dangerous and difficult situations for home care professionals.
Home Health Care News discusses Thompson’s remarks further.
Namely, Thompson points to a situation last year in which 13 agencies—including the one he worked for—were suspended following an FBI investigation that revealed more than $80 million in Medicaid fraud. He said he and some of his coworkers continued to care for their patients during the shutdown but went without pay, and he lost his home and care as a result.
Thompson has observed further fraudulent behavior among some home care agencies funded by taxpayers that steal caregivers’ wages, prompting home care workers to file three class action lawsuits against D.C. agencies alleging $150 million in stolen wages.
“Some pay us below the legally required living wage and deny us paid sick leave or overtime,” he wrote.
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“After nearly decade in the field, I’m paid $13.80 an hour,” Thompson wrote. “After covering rent, utilities, life insurance and work supplies, I have $0 left over. Too many home care providers are forced to leave the field because they can’t survive.”
Lack of communication regarding recertification is yet another issue faced by D.C. home care aides, Thompson said. The D.C. Board of Nursing has failed to re-certify about 60% of home care workers in the area. The responsibility then falls on the home care industry as a whole, which “often reports conflicting fees, processes or deadlines to its workforce,” he said.
Thompson warns that these conditions may put the health of the elderly in danger if situations do not improve quickly.
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