Let PCA's Make A Living

A note from a friend makes a great argument for paying Personal Care Attendants what they're worth.

Consider:

A). Start paying PCA's at least $13.00 per hour. That's the going rate nursing homes and HHA's are paying PCA's. Consumers must compete, too.

B). Finding people to work as a PCA is NOT the overriding issue. Folks will be knocking at the door to work as a PCA if they are paid they're WORTH! Let's bring PCA pay into the 21st century, not the 20th century. Starting at $13.00 in today's economy will not break the bank. And a worthy, substantial wage increase is long overdue.

C). The Commonwealth's PCA Program is one of the very the best public policy programs historically. The PCA Program reaches over 12,000 consumers. It employs thousands of individuals. The return on revenues are significant to every community in the Commonwealth. And the PCA Program has a 35-year well-documented track record of success for the consumers it serves; PCA's who supplement and/or rely upon that job exclusively; and cost efficiency to the Commonwealth. Enhancing the PCA Program must occur as the administrators and policymakers at EOHHS continue to create, plan, and implement still more community-based supports and services. The PCA Program is a life-affirming service.