All across the country, care services are severely understaffed. As you’ve probably experienced, this creates a lot of inconvenience for those of us that are used to the routines we established before the pandemic began.
But when it comes to essential services, like senior care, this is a lot more than inconvenient. It can be incredibly detrimental to the safety and health of those that depend on the help of others to make it through the day.
This isn’t anything shocking. Senior care isn’t the only industry that’s lacking for employees. Thanks to the pandemic and the job changes that came along with this, almost every industry is being impacted. There are two big differences when looking at senior care. The first is safety, as mentioned above. But the second is that this isn’t a new problem. There was already a care shortage looming as the senior population continued to grow without enough new people entering the care workforce.
There’s another issue that you might not be as aware of, though. The areas of the country that are seeing the biggest shortages when it comes to caregivers are also the areas that tend to have the highest populations of minorities and those living in poverty. In other words, some of the most vulnerable communities are facing the greatest lack of resources. This goes for caregivers, but also nurses and other professionals involved in the work of caring for the elderly. Unfortunately, this means those that are already at high risk are likely to continue to face that risk.
Everyone deserves access to high quality care, regardless of what race, culture, gender, or religion they might be. It doesn’t matter if someone is able bodied or they are disabled, mentally healthy, or struggling with dementia. Everyone deserves access to the best care that they can get. This is not our reality, though. Unfortunately, disparity and lack of access to care continues. It’s those that need the most help that continue to be hit the hardest.
Knowing about this lack of resources and how it impacts those that we care about is important. But knowledge is just the first step. Taking steps to protect those that we love and ensure that people have access to high quality care is crucial for helping seniors to thrive.
This will look different in each community. Ideally, each community would know what resources were available to it and then begin to take steps to fill in areas of need. But so many communities just don’t know what’s available or where to start. This remains a huge area of need across the country.
If you have questions about how in-home care can help, we’d love to talk. Please don’t hesitate to give us a call. One of our trained professionals would be happy to schedule a free consultation session where we can go into more depth regarding how in-home care could benefit your family. Each situation is different, which is one of the reasons why in-home care is helpful. It’s care that can be adapted to meet your family’s unique set of needs. Give us a call to get started.
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