COMMENTARY: Nevada must prepare for ‘silver tsunami’

This past Valentine’s Day, I bought a bouquet of carnations and then gave one flower, along with a warm hug, to each of my home care clients. The people I care for are mostly seniors who have ailments such as severe arthritis and back pain, and many of them are alone without any family. They need someone to listen to them, laugh with them and show them love, as well as help them with their physical needs.

As a personal care attendant, I support my clients with all the daily activities of living such as bathing, feeding, grocery shopping, taking medications on time, picking up prescriptions and going to doctor’s appointments.

When I come into a client’s home, the first thing I do is observe. I watch how they eat, how they are breathing, what their speech sounds like. Sometimes, I notice they would be more comfortable with a pillow under their feet. Other times, I say, “Let’s get out of bed and take a bath today.” I’m active in my church and see this home care work as a calling that is part of my larger ministry.

Nevada’s population is aging much faster than the national average, and the Silver State needs to prepare for the coming “silver tsunami.” From 2010 to 2018, there was a 46 percent increase in state residents over the age of 65, and that trend will continue this decade. Currently one out of six Nevadans is a senior, and the vast majority of older Americans would prefer to live in their own homes. Aging in place is better for people’s mental, physical and emotional well-being and keeps them connected to their communities.

This growing need for home care has caused soaring demand for more caregivers. Home care is now one of the fastest-growing jobs in America, and there will be more than 1 million new positions that need to be filled by 2030. But poverty wages, a lack of benefits and tough working conditions have caused a crisis-level workforce shortage.

As much as I love my job, I feel overworked and underpaid, and it’s a struggle just to survive. To get from one client to another, I drive about 50 miles per day, so I need to have a functioning car. But I’ve been driving around with one headlight out because I can’t afford the $69 cost to replace the bulb.

For most of my 20-year career, I made just $10 to $12 an hour — recently I got a raise to $13 — and I have no health benefits or paid sick days.

I’m 63 years old and don’t know how much longer I’ll be able to work. But I worry about my clients and the home care workers who come after me because these poverty wages cause so much turnover in the field. My two daughters-in-law are also home care workers and need to work second jobs to make ends meet. I wonder: Will they be able to provide my grandchildren and great-grandchildren with everything they need?

Like my clients, I’ve often felt isolated and alone as a home care worker. But joining together with other home care workers in SEIU Nevada Local 1107 has finally given me a sense of hope. I’ve learned that in other states, home care workers have won major improvements through their unions, including better care standards, benefits and $15 or more an hour, which helps recruit and retain qualified caregivers.

Working with advocates and clients, we will continue calling on elected officials throughout our state and country to present concrete policy solutions to this growing crisis. After my long career, I want to leave the field a much better place, where caregivers can provide for their families and Nevadans have access to the quality home care they deserve.

— Mary Franklin of North Las Vegas has been a home care worker for the past 20 years.