You keep hearing about this new home care health rule regarding wages and overtime, yet you have no idea how this is going to affect the caregiver or the senior.
The new rule indicates that caregivers are given the same work protection as employees and is intended to increase the care level for seniors while also protecting the caregiver.
According to government statistics, 62% of caregivers left their jobs last year. Hopefully, with the new rule in effect, more caregivers will stay in the homecare occupation or industry since they will now be more protected from the emotional and physical demands of being a homecare provider.

Better Quality of Care

With better pay and stability, the caregiver can work with many seniors and know that they are being compensated fairly. Many times, homecare providers work well above the 40-hour workweek, and now they will qualify for overtime. Employers may feel this is not a good move, but if the caregiver is compensated fairly, they will work at higher standards.

Now, who will actually pay for this? Clients will have to either pay more, decrease the hours of care, or add another caregiver. It gets really muddy, really fast. Most clients want to keep just one caregiver, but they cannot afford to do so. Therefore, they will be forced to line up multiple caregivers to keep the senior cared for and safe.

Imagine a senior with Alzheimer’s or other memory concerns, and they have 3 or 4 different caregivers. They stand a chance of getting confused and alarmed with all the different caregivers in and out.

How do seniors win?
Hopefully they win with a qualified caregiver that is passionate about caring and not overshadowed with compensation issues. Caregivers have many responsibilities and duties and they need to be compensated fairly. A senior needs a caregiver that is wholeheartedly concerned about them and not panicking about compensation.

Talking about the new homecare rule helps seniors and caregivers to understand the benefits for both of them. Want to learn more about the new caregiver rule on wages and overtime? You can click here and read the important facts.

Also, for more information on providing care for your senior loved one, be sure to contact Senior Living Options.

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Author: Ann Jamison

Ann Jamison is an experienced senior advisor who has successfully worked with hundreds of families to help them find the best care and home-like environment for themselves or their loved ones. Prior to launching Senior Living Options, Ann was an eldercare advisor for a national placement agency and served as sales director at a senior living community. Thanks to her 25-year career in advertising sales and marketing, Ann is able to discern between hype and reality for her clients. Ann recognizes that there are objective factors that need to be weighed when making a life-changing decision, but she can also assess the important softer attributes by getting to know her clients and by using the gut instincts that can only come through extended experience.