RAI$E IT!
Community Attendants Work for It!
WAGES & BENEFITS
- Raising the base rate to $15 or more per hour
- Incentivize agencies to provide health insurance
- Incentivize agencies to provide sick leave and vacation
LEGISLATIVE & ADMINISTRATIVE
- Improve data collection on Recruitment and Retention of Community Attendants
- Work with Workforce Commissions in the states on Recruiting and Retaining Community Attendants
- Increase number of people choosing Consumer Directed Services (CDS)
- Exemption of HCBS from EVV requirements, No GPS, Biometrics, Geo-Fencing
- Include Community Attendants in Network Adequacy Requirements developed for managed care organizations
- Develop a marketing campaign for the Recruitment and Retention of Community Attendants for all HCBS programs
- Passage of a “Community Attendant Bill of Rights”
- Pilot projects on innovative ways to R&R Community Attendants
- Assure Community Workforce Recruitment and Retention issues are included in all Medicare for All legislation
- As Social Determinants are added to Medicare programs assure Community Workforce Recruitment and Retention issues are included
Strategies to Increase Attendant Recruitment
The population in the United States is changing. Baby boomers are in retirement. The number of people with disabilities in this age group is growing as well. The need for personal care by way of attendants for people with disabilities in this age group and the general population is growing. Recruitment & retention of people to provide hands-on personal care in the home is vital.
States are ratcheting-down the appropriations, particularly in Medicaid, the largest provider of home care services. Without adequate appropriations, the Attendant workforce is being shortchanged and those who would do the work are unable to stay in the Community Attendant workforce.
Stakeholders are working desperately to recruit and maintain a stable Community Attendant Workforce. New strategies are being used and new resources are being developed in order to meet the growing attendant workforce crisis.
ADAPT is working diligently on strategies to meet this need. Some of the strategies to increase the pool of Community Attendant Workforce are listed below.
- Work with Workforce Commissions, Universities/ Association of University Centers on Disabilities and Vocational Rehabilitation Commissions to train people with disabilities as Community Attendants
- Use of EB3 Visa allows a skilled worker, professional, or other to enter the United States for employment. This could be used as a pathway to citizenship.
- Identification of Senior or post-retirement workforce programs and agencies
- Development of a public relations effort highlighting some of the positive aspects of being a Community Attendant such as limited hours, job flexibility, assisting people to be able to Age in Place and be as independent as possible;
- In states that HCBS is delivered through managed care organizations, include Community Attendant availability as part of the network adequacy requirements;
- Explore ways to offer affordable health insurance to Community Attendants;
- Explore funding for an ongoing Community Attendant Registry (CAR) with Workforce Commissions.