Why Home Caregivers Cannot Survive on $1,800 a Month: An Account Drawn from A Penn State Dickinson Law Student’s Family Connections in Georgia, by Neville Shakespeare
A typical day for one of my family members, whom I will call Frederick, kicks off before the Georgia sun even thinks about rising. He gently helps his 80-year old dad out of bed, a bittersweet moment as he remembers a time when his father, a strong man, taught him how to ride a bike. Now it is Frederick’s turn to be the rock, with his father depending on him for everything.
It is a labor of love, sure, but it is also grueling, a full-time gig. Frederick worries endlessly about how to keep things afloat financially while being his dad’s sole caregiver. When his father got devastating news about stage-4 lung cancer, their lives flipped upside down. Suddenly, his father needed help with just about everything — getting up, eating, taking meds. Frederick tried desperately to find a home care aide, but almost every agency he called was short-staffed or had no hours available. The few caregivers he tried to hire didn’t stick around for long. Most of the time, it was just Frederick, pulling 24/7 duty for his dad.
Frederick earned a modest $1,800 a month through Georgia’s Structured Family Care Waiver Program, a sum intended to compensate for his tireless work as his father’s caregiver. This wasn’t a cushy salary, but rather a grueling 24/7 commitment, seven days a week. When you crunch the numbers, it barely paid minimum wage. Adding to the financial strain, the father faced a $289 monthly deductible, just to access these crucial caregiver services.
Frederick’s struggle wasn’t unique; many home care aides toiling in similar roles, found themselves in the same boat, often working double shifts without the benefit of overtime pay. It is no surprise that so many were forced to seek better opportunities elsewhere, leaving family members stranded.
Why do dedicated folks who care for our loved ones at home get the short end of the stick? It is a baffling situation, but here’s the scoop: in many places, like Georgia, home care is stuck in a legal time warp. For decades, it was completely left out of basic labor laws, allowing employers to pay caregivers less and even skip paying overtime. Even with a few tweaks over the years, these sneaking loopholes still exist, meaning caregivers often juggle unpredictable schedules, meager pay, and almost no job security. It’s like the very people we trust with our parents and grandparents are treated as if their crucial work just isn’t that important.
This is a universal struggle, not an isolated family incident. For more on Georgia’s history, see AARP’s discussion here. Inadequate pay for home care aides creates a ripple effect: families cannot find the help they need and elderly individual are left without essential care. The current system places people like Frederick’s father in an untenable position, forcing them to choose between their loved ones’ well-being and their own financial stability.
To truly honor our elders, we must value those who provide care and support. Home care aides perform essential work and deserve fair pay and overtime. Lawmakers can achieve this by closing legal loopholes, increasing pay standard, and supporting families dedicated to doing what is right. Compare a 2025 proposal in Georgia for better family caregivers support.
Imagine a day when you or a loved one needs a helping hand, a comforting presence in your own home. Would you want that care to come from someone struggling to makes ends meet, working for meager wages to provide a basic necessity? It is a stark reality many home caregivers face, and its time we champion them. Every family, including yours, deserved more than just good intentions; they deserve the real, unwavering support from a valued and respected caregiving profession.
