Posted April 17th, 2008 by cheesman

With the age of the general population increasing the strain on already understaffed hospitals is growing. Since a large portion of Registered Nurses are nearing retirement age themselves, this healthcare job has one of the highest demands in the nation. Nurses who are experienced in giving care to the elderly, in particular, are desperately needed.
    
But since these healthcare jobs, such as in-home nurses, tend to be on the lower ended of the pay scale, it is often hard to fill these positions. According to Susan Chapman, a member of the Health Care Workforce committee, says that  these “nurses are paid $10 to $15 an hour for an emotionally and physically straining job.” She believes that the goal should be “to make these long-term, sustainable jobs and cut down on the turnover” through pay increases and better training.
   
The problem with pay checks for those whose jobs in healthcare have then working with the elderly is that these positions are largely financed by Medicaid and Medicare. According to another member of the committee, Carol Raphael, these programs pay less than private insurance firms see fit to.
   
A recent report by the Institute of Medicine, which is part of the National Academy of Sciences, urged increasing the number of training hours that direct-care givers receive. At this time those with these healthcare jobs are only required to complete 75 hours, but the institute suggests that 120 would be more beneficial. Currently dog groomers and manicurists, in many parts of the nation, must undergo more hours of instruction than in-home nurses.
   
The Institute’s report also encouraged that family members and others who assist in the giving of care to the elderly should also receive training. This will help to alleviate some of the stresses that those with these jobs in healthcare experience.
   
The AARP believes that this report shows the increasing need for urgent improvements to medical work force. Their President-Elect, Jennie Chin Hansen, said that “We know the problem, and we know how to begin to fix it.” Because of this, the AARP is endorsing a bill sponsored by Senator Barbara Boxer, a Californian democrat, and Senator Susan Collins, a republican from Maine, which hopes to direct caregivers towards healthcare jobs working with the elderly. The bill will also create an advisory panel which will make recommendations for further solutions to this growing problem.