The Home Care Alliance of Massachusetts read the Newsweek articles of November 28, 2007 (???The Strangers in Our Parents??? Homes??? and ???Safeguard Your Loves Ones???) with interest and with concern. We are disturbed, of course, about the abuse and fraud perpetrated against elders. But we also want readers to know that millions of frail and elder citizens are served annually by home care agencies that meet strict state and federal standards for training, worker screening, and supervision. The Home Care Alliance would like to ensure that the majority of these health care workers, who are honest, hardworking and who care for the loved ones of so many families, not become tarnished by the egregious acts of a few bad apples.
Pat Kelleher, Executive Director
Home Care Alliance of Massachusetts
The Strangers in Our Parents' Homes
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Fleitman usually paid about $15 hourly ($10 went to the worker, the agency kept the rest). "I suspect the baby boomers will start to make changes in the law to protect seniors living at home as they get older, but what about us?" Fleitman asks. "I'm older than the baby-boom generation. I took care of my mother without any help from the government, but who'll take care of me? I don't have any kids. I just hope when my time comes, I'll be able to get some help."
Even if there is more legislation, many believe the problems in this industry will continue until society puts a greater value on this type of work—and on the seniors themselves. Elinor Ginzler, author of the book "Caring for Your Parents" and AARP's director of livable communities strategies, says home-based health-care aides should receive adequate wages, benefits and necessary training and education including opportunities for advancement, respect for their work and safer working conditions. "It's critical that we professionalize this job," she says, "we must make it a more attractive profession."
Unless and until that happens, Ginzler says families and friends trying to find a competent home health-care worker for a loved one should learn as much as they can about a prospective worker before they do any hiring. "Get references, do background checks, meet with the agency in person and make sure you get an agreement in writing," she says. "And after you hire them, periodically conduct unannounced visits to see how the care provider is interacting with your loved one."
As for Kim Collins, who says if she had it to do over again she would have done more diligent background checks on her own, the entire experience "was a nightmare from which my family never recovered." Her father died this past April in a nursing home before the family could legally get their house back from Trevino. A judge subsequently ordered the house returned to her mother, Dorothy Torano, who no longer recognizes Collins and still resides in the nursing home where her husband died. "This ordeal literally killed my father," says Collins, her voice cracking with emotion. "After he lost the house he just deteriorated fast. My parents were just easy picking for this woman. It was horrible." Unfortunately, Collins's tragic story is not an aberration—and law enforcement and legislators have only just begun to realize that there are more and more potential victims every year.
© 2007
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