In a civilized society where the free market reigns, it’s easy to tell which citizens are the most noble, admirable, and self-sacrificing. They’re the ones who can’t even pay their rent.
A good share of these people are home care workers. Their job is to assist disabled people like me and older Americans in our homes or in community-based settings. There are more than two million home care workers in the United States, according to PHI, a nonprofit group that “works to improve the lives of people who need home or residential care—by improving the lives of those who provide that care.”
Because I use a motorized wheelchair, I’ve employed a lot of these home care workers throughout the years. They’re not medical professionals. They assist me with simple things like getting dressed and taking a shower. Their wages are paid by a state Medicaid-funded program.
Home care workers often find themselves placed on a Mother Teresa-like pedestal. People often say they are selfless saints for doing this type of work. My workers are not selfless. If they were, I wouldn’t want to be around them. I like people who have selves. And no saint would put up with me for very long either. My workers are just good people who think it’s important for humans to help each other.
But home care workers are usually flat broke. A recent report by PHI, based on data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, revealed that the median wage of these workers is $10.49 per hour, which with inconsistent hours comes to $13,800 per year. In 2006, according to the report, the median wage for these workers was $10.33, which means their pay has gone up a whopping 16 cents per hour over the last decade. During that same decade, the demand for their services has skyrocketed. PHI says the number of people employed as home care workers has doubled over that period of time.
You can’t buy a lot of groceries when you make $10.49 an hour. And stores don’t give you discounts for being noble.
You can’t buy a lot of groceries when you make $10.49 an hour. And stores don’t give you discounts for being noble. Twenty-three percent of home care workers live in households with incomes below the federal poverty line, compared to 7 percent of all U.S. workers. More than 50 percent of home care workers rely on some sort of public assistance, such as Medicaid. Based on all this, I suppose it’s not surprising that 90 percent of these workers are women and more than half are people of color.
It’s too bad the “free market” doesn’t value home care workers the same way it values shortstops. A mediocre shortstop makes millions, and no one ever says shortstops are selfless saints doing God’s work. I don’t begrudge shortstops their due. But the next time I need help taking a shower, I won’t be calling one.