Hardy fears looming home care worker shortage 
Low pay, high demand
NATALIE MUSSEAU The Gulf News
Tears roll down Goldie Hardy's face as she pauses to find a voice for her fears.
She's scared that she will be forced to give up caring for two autistic men she considers part of her family because of the low wages given to home care workers.
Two of the four workers that help the Port aux Basques resident have told her they are looking elsewhere for work. Mrs. Hardy says that's because they simply can't make enough to live on the wage they are earning - under $9 per hour.
Her workers, like many others, are funded by the provincial Department of Human Resources, Labour and Employment.
"It's not all about the money," said Mrs. Hardy, adding that all of her workers would have left for high-paying jobs on the mainland years ago if that was the case.
Her workers are long-term employees; one has been with her since the boys moved in with the Hardy family after their group home closed some 20 years ago. That kind of stability is key for people with autism.
Mrs. Hardy explained that change is hard for "her boys," now 39 and 42. She said change increases their negative behaviours and stress levels, and it could be up to a year before they re-adapt to a new situation.
That was the case when one of the Hardy's homecare workers left to take a better job last May. Mrs. Hardy said the boys are only now regaining their sense of normalcy.
She doesn't blame her workers for wanting to find employment that offers better pay or less stress.
"It takes a lot to work in this type of environment," she said, adding that homecare work demands a person who is patient, caring and more.
Homecare workers can be responsible for a wide variety of duties that include companionship, planning activities, feeding, bathing, laundry, lifting and much more.
"You don't expect these workers to give and give and give and get nothing in return," said Mrs. Hardy. She estimated that her workers have received only about $1 per hour raise over the last 18 years.
Mrs. Hardy questioned why anyone would take on the demands of a job in home care with the number of less demanding jobs available for virtually the same money.
"That scares me. Who else am I going to get if my workers leave? I'm getting older too. I can't take on what I could 20 years ago."
Mrs. Hardy said without the support of home care workers she would have little choice but to turn the boys back over to the social services system.
"This is their home now. I can't bear the thought of having to do that because of a few dollars."
She said her workers aren't asking for a large raise, only to be fairly compensated for the work that they do, and she supports them fully. She added that homecare workers who are stable, long-term employees, like her staff, should get additional compensation.
Mrs. Hardy said government should consider the cost savings and other benefits of having people like her boys in private homes instead of large institutions.
Not alone Mrs. Hardy is not alone in her concerns.
The Victorian Order of Nurses (VON) is an agency for homecare services. Eileen Pitcher, director of the Corner Brook branch, said finding new homecare workers is challenging.
"We probably have an ad on the jobline now," she said.
Ms. Pitcher said the VON is seeing a rising demand for homecare services, which she described as the 'tip of the iceburg' as it doesn't include people like Mrs. Hardy who find employees without the help of an agency.
She said workers are becoming in harder to find given the province's aging population and more young people leaving for jobs in western Canada.
Ms. Pitcher estimated that government pays for the homecare of about 70 per cent of their clients. She said without an increase in funding from the province, there's little that can be done to raise wages for employees.
nmusseau@gulfnews.ca
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