Think about a job that you’ve had in the past that you’ve enjoyed, but it didn’t pay quite as much as you needed it to. Even if you felt that the job was your life’s calling, if it didn’t allow you to pay all of your bills on time then that particular position probably didn’t last long in your life. That’s part of living in our world. We want to have a job that is uplifting and fulfilling, but we also need to take things like money into consideration. We need to be paid enough to do the work that we do if we want to have a place to live, food to eat, and a few minutes of peace and quiet at the end of each day.
Well, this holds true for those in the senior care industry, too. There’s no doubt that senior care is an important job. Those that provide care on a daily basis are doing hard work–but it is incredibly important because it translates directly into the quality of life and safety that another person experiences.
This is why an agency out of Maine is calling for a substantial pay raise for those that provide care to the elderly. The commission that focused on this issue has called for a pay raise so that all individuals who provide direct care to seniors would make at least 125 percent of the current minimum wage.
This is partly in response to a care worker shortage that the State of Maine has been experiencing. We have discussed this several times in other places on the blog, actually. Because of the large number of senior citizens, there’s the possibility of a care crisis on the horizon. Without enough individuals providing care to the elderly, the growing number of seniors in our country would not be adequately provided for. Bringing more caregivers into the sector would be a huge benefit both to the seniors that need help and the employees who would be getting a paycheck.
A pay increase would definitely help to attract more people to this line of work. People are far more willing to come to a job and stay there when the money makes it possible to do so. Being a caregiver can be an entry level job and not a lot of advanced education is required and as a result, a lot of caregiver services pay much less than what this position deserves. However, it is a job that requires a big heart and a lot of quick thinking. It is a job that should be paid well. If this will attract the right people to the industry, it’s a smart move.
We know that money isn’t the most important thing in the world. However, money is a motivator. Like it or not, it plays a role in how we go about our daily lives. It also influences how we value things. We are more likely to give value to something that we pay for than we are to something that we obtained for free.
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