The pandemic intensified an already-severe workforce crisis in home care. But one home care agency in New York City may hold the clue to a national solution, according to a report in The Detroit News.
Cooperative Home Care Associates offers an unusual amount of career opportunity for its workers. First, it’s employee-owned. That is, its 2,000 workers have the option of buying into the company. Those who buy in receive comprehensive health care insurance and subsidies to pay for college courses and career advancement. The cooperative puts new workers through a four-week training program funded through a combination of state and federal grants and philanthropic grants.
The agency also guarantees experienced aides at least 30 hours of work at $15 an hour, plus benefits including a pension that are worth another $4 an hour. The result: A loyal workforce, with an annual attrition rate of about 18% to 24%, far below the industry standard of 82%.
“Building support is right at the core for recruiting and retaining workers,” Adria Powell, president and CEO of Cooperative Home Care Associates, told The Detroit News. “We’ve got to build a quality job for workers to be able to build quality care.”
The cooperative, however, remains much more the exception than the rule, as agencies nationwide remain heavily reliant on Medicaid funding and struggle to retain workers for jobs that typically pay $12 to $15 an hour, the news outlet noted.
