Labor Shortages Nationwide
The pandemic had caused a significant disruption in America’s labor force, often called “The Great Resignation.” This resignation trend now accounts for historic levels of workers quitting their jobs, with the most significant departure of employees during the last months of 2021.
Quitters Market
According to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, more than 47 million workers quit their jobs in 2021, many of whom took their time off during the pandemic to reconsider their careers and state of happiness. The Chamber confirms* that workers who’ve quit or not returned to their pre-COVID jobs are looking for an improved work-life balance, flexibility, increased compensation, and a strong company culture.
*Understanding America’s Labor Shortage, Feb. 8, 2022
Caregiver Shortages in Home Care
There has been a growing a caregiver shortage in the home care marketplace. There are far more seniors and others in need of in-home care than there are caregivers available. Before the pandemic, an ever-growing bulging aging population segment has created an ever-increasing demand for more and more caregivers.
This increased demand for home care workers is good news – home care is among the top business categories experiencing growth with projections of healthy increases for the next 10-20 years. At the same time, there is no denying that The Great Resignation and the ongoing pandemic are driving the scarcity of caregivers. This has led to a strong “candidate’s” (aka seller’s) market in today’s marketplace.
Top that off with continued resistance to vaccine mandates and the reality that Caregivers and other home care workers are usually starting with minimum wage salaries.
Commitment to Our Caregiver Workforce
Since its inception, Westchester Family Care (WFC) has been a company that puts the interests of our workforce first. Inspired by his own experience caring for aging parents with Alzheimer’s, Founder/CEO Glenn Lane entered the home care industry determined to offer a different kind of home care agency: one that cares deeply for the caregiver as much as the client.
WFC is addressing this moment of home care labor shortages by offering an even more progressive approach to compensation, benefits, professional development, and a rewarding and supportive work environment. Notably, we are devoted to delivering this commitment to all caregivers.
Compensation, Benefits & Professional Development
“Provider of home care services need ways to engage and recognize the next generation of caregivers to enhance job satisfaction.”
-SmartCare Software
We offer innovative programs to attract and retain top caregivers and consistently have high caregiver satisfaction ratings obtained through ongoing tracking studies. Here is a summary of our programs:
- industry-leading compensation,
- sign-on bonus and referral bonus,
- flexible work shifts,
- innovative benefits,
- recognition programs, and
- ongoing training and development.
See full details in our Workforce First blog
In keeping with our desire to play a leadership role in the industry, we also launched an innovative Employee Hardship Fund called
“Westchester Family Care Grant Circle.”
It is designed to help workers who face immediate unexpected financial issues such as housing, medical, or car repairs. While this program had been in development for some time, it arrived at the right time, just as the pandemic took its toll on workers’ pocketbooks.
See full details in our Family Grant blog.
Company Culture
“Home care agencies need to create cultures that elevate and engage their employees so that new caregivers are drawn to them, and current caregivers can’t imagine working anywhere else.” – Home Care Pulse, March 2022
In addition to other home care providers of all sizes, WFC competes with corporate giants like Starbucks and Amazon, who may have more hiring flexibility and resources. This intensifies our efforts to differentiate WFC and make ours an even better place for employees to work.
WFC is proud of our best practices in recruitment, hiring, and retention. We believe they are vital elements of our working culture and how we build out our “brand” – the perception of WFC in the minds of job applicants and employees. See full details in our Best Practices blog.
Additionally, WFC employs powerful strategies of caregiver engagement on a personal level. We’ve added two new roles to stimulate meaningful connections with caregivers and to provide colleagues who act as sounding boards for their feedback.
- Keisha Terry, Employee Services Specialist
As our Employee Services Specialist, Keisha supports WFC caregivers’ success and job satisfaction. She acts as a connection between our caregivers and HR, Scheduling and Clinical Teams.
- Michelle Lyons, Caregiver Peer Liaison
As Caregiver Peer Liaison, Michelle supports caregiver satisfaction in different ways. This new WFC role offers another contact point for the caregiver – with a peer who isn’t their supervisor, nurse, or coordinator.
Further, we’ve added a Town Hall segment to our regular instructor led In-Service Sessions. This has served to engage and heighten communications with caregivers. It’s our opportunity to communicate new developments and enhancements at WFC and caregivers are invited to ask questions make comments or suggestions.
WFC’s commitment to our caregivers and clients is derived from professional respect and gratitude. We love what we do and are grateful for the positive impact our caregivers have on the lives of our clients. They bring their “A” game every day, and we, too, will continue to look for new ways to reward and appreciate the outstanding care they provide.
Westchester Family Care Inc. assists people of all ages, by customizing home care plans to maintain healthy quality of life and safety at home.
Contact WFC for an immediate family need or when planning for future needs: info@westfamilycare.com, 914-223-8073,www.westchesterfamilycare.com.
Westchester Family Care Provides Peace of Mind and Confidence that the Elderly Are Safe and Living with Dignity in Their Own Home.