Client Choice
At the heart of quality home care is a stable nurturing relationship between client and caregiver. Real client choice must go beyond the ability to choose an agency. It must extend the ability to choose a worker the client trusts to enter his or her home and provide good care. Without the right to choose a worker, client choice means little. Right now our home care system doesn’t protect a client’s ability to retain their worker. Too often home care agencies disrupt stable, long term relationships for reasons that range from administrative convenience to augmenting profits to punishing workers who stand up to management.
Carline Elysee, a caregiver, and Marie Chest, a client, were separated by their agency, Total Health Home Care, despite having a very good relationship and despite stating that they wished to remain together. The company informed Ms. Chest that Carline no longer worked for the agency, and told Carline that Ms. Chest was in the hospital. Neither was true. When Carline decided to visit Ms. Chest on her own time, she was terminated. Carline and Ms. Chest have asked the PCA to look into their case and the case of pairs like them. Total is also under investigation by federal authorities concerning Carline’s termination. |
“As a senior who has worked my whole life, one of my greatest challenges is getting the help I now need so that I can have a decent quality of life. It’s hard when you’re used to doing for yourself, to have to depend on others to do for you. Because of this, it’s very important that I trust those who help me and that I’m able to have consistency of care and caregivers. This has been an ongoing challenge. The two long term regular caregivers I have had made my life so much easier. I only wish that they were treated better by their employer, Total Health Home Care.” |
Workers and clients who wish to remain together must have the right to do so. Clients who choose to follow workers to new employers should receive swift assistance from their care manager. Agencies should make every effort to accommodate the caregivers of clients who switch providers. The PCA and other watchdog agencies should enforce these rights and consider refusing to do business with companies that separate workers from clients. Take action now »