Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, it has been difficult for home care providers to hire caregivers to cover the needs of their clients. In fact, some home care providers have stopped trying to get new clients because they do not currently have the staff to accommodate the clients they already have.
Alison Shearer, owner of Assisting Hands Home Care in Villa Park, IL, was recently interviewed by Grady Trimble on Fox Business about the struggle to hire new caregivers. In response to the first question about the volume of interviews coming in, she said, “Pre pandemic, we would normally be able to schedule about 6 interviews a day and now we’re lucky if we schedule 5 a week.”
The drop in those applying for caregiver jobs is concerning as Assisting Hands Home Care in Villa Park, IL and other home care providers may have to begin turning down some who need care. Alison was asked if she believes enhanced unemployment benefits and the stimulus have affected the number of applicants to which she responded, “It’s hard for me to say exactly what the reason is, but it sure does appear to be the extra help that’s out there.”
The issue of pay scale also came up in the interview as people looking for caregiver jobs are asking for more than the average market rate. Alison tells Grady Trimble, “We’ve already increased our rates for our employees as well as for our clients and yet the applicants that are coming in are asking for more than what the high end of our rate was before the pandemic.”
When asked about a possible solution, Alison responded, “For now, we just keep trying to hone our skills, recruiting, and finding better ways to go through the interview process and increase the different kind of benefits we do provide, and get more creative.”
Home Care from Assisting Hands
At Assisting Hands Home Care, we remain committed to providing the best possible home care for our clients. Our caregivers will continue to provide quality care and companionship and ensure that seniors who want to age in place can do so safely and comfortably. We will continue to hire highly qualified caregivers who are compassionate about providing excellent home care for our clients.
If you are interested in a rewarding career as a home caregiver, contact Assisting Hands Home Care in Villa Park, IL (630) 635-3900 to learn more.