Minimum Wage Forces Vets Out of Nursing Homes

[Katarina Witt]

Originally Posted by Enigma777

Yeah--I don't think this is just a VA problem. In Florida, there are some great nursing homes, and there are some horrible ones also. But even in the lower end homes, I am pretty sure caretakers make more than minimum wage, though I could be wrong. Let's face it--if someone is doing this 'just for a job' they may not be very caring.

They may make more than minimum wage, but not anywhere near $10.10/hr.

[Caligula1]

Originally Posted by middle-aged mom

The field tends to attract convicted felons who have served their time and are challenged to find employment, anywhere. Occasionally, one will come across a former RN who lost his/her license due to a felony conviction, usually related to bag of tricks that goes hand in hand with drug addiction.

It's common for there to be one RN per shift and the rest are very low wage, often part time, employees.

These jobs require a level 2 federal background check, the same for Teachers, Nurses, Social Workers..
You can not get a job in these fields with any type of felony conviction.
If the Facility or whatever entity is hiring these folks as felons they are not following federal laws..
Unless they are hired by a private family, then they get what they deserve if they do not screen..

Most Direct Support Workers do it because they love what they do.. Of course as with every profession there are exceptions.. Dirty Cops, Child molesting kindergarten teachers, thieving CEO's

There are a lot of people who could not or would not put up with the crap they go through on a daily basis..
It sure is a lot of fun getting feces thrown at you or kicked, hit, pinched, spit at.. You haven't lived until you brushed poop out of someone's mouth as they are trying to hurt you..

Fortunately for Disabled and Developmentally Disabled people and Senior Citizens..
Direct support workers exist.. We take care of the people society and family's throw away..
We are also, Fathers, Mothers, Brothers, Sisters, Councilors, Referee's, Chauffer's..
Cooks....

We do it for the unconditional love we get from our clients on a daily basis, not the money..
Even after the biting, kicking.... you get the point...

[mwruckman]

Originally Posted by DRob4JC

Minimum wage order sends veterans packing from nursing homes

Some military veterans are being forced to leave their nursing home. It's an unintended consequence of President Obama's executive order in February to raise the minimum wage for new federal contract workers from $7.25 to $10.10 an hour.

They can call it unintended... but it not hard to understand the consequences. Give me a break.


Sandy Franks, public affairs officer at Shreveport's Overton Brooks V. A. Medical Center, explains that nursing homes that have contracts for subsidized care from the Veterans Administration become federal contractors. If they refuse to raise their wages, their contracts will not be renewed.

...
Shreveport Manor is owned by Gamble Guest Care. Their Chief Operating Officer says if they raise wages for workers there, they have to do that at all eight of their facilities.

In a statement, Gamble COO Matt Machen said, in part, "The additional labor expenses are simply unaffordable. As such, many long term care providers have indicated that they will no longer seek or renew V.A. contracts."

So they have close out all dealings with the feds, which puts the vets, who work with the VA, out.

Do you have any idea what type of care givers or nursing aids you get when you don't even pay minimum wage? You should spend some quality time in such a assisted living or nursing care facility. You really need to spend a few hours stuck in a bed after you soiled yourself and your bed and get no response from the call button. You really start questioning why you are living at all. I tired of these crooks who run these type of nursing homes who rob the VA blind.

[godofthunder9010]

Originally Posted by SourD

Every Liberal or Progressive action has bad consequences tied to them.

Every action to the right or to the left has consequences. You can't actually fix anything in the country without inadvertently hurting some people. So you either accept that the status quo is fine and good or you suck it up and accept that some folks are going to be hurt. I can't think of any exceptions. If you'd done the opposite and abolished minimum wage (a favorite cause of many extreme right folks) you'd have hurt a ton of people, probably a lot more than were hurt in this instance.

[Versatile]

Originally Posted by Enigma777

Yeah--I don't think this is just a VA problem. In Florida, there are some great nursing homes, and there are some horrible ones also. But even in the lower end homes, I am pretty sure caretakers make more than minimum wage, though I could be wrong. Let's face it--if someone is doing this 'just for a job' they may not be very caring.

The place i was at had workers that were from out of the local area and came from down the freeway. There is no work down where they live and they have to drive quite a bit. Looked to me like most of their cash went for gas.

[Versatile]

Originally Posted by mwruckman

Do you have any idea what type of care givers or nursing aids you get when you don't even pay minimum wage? You should spend some quality time in such a assisted living or nursing care facility. You really need to spend a few hours stuck in a bed after you soiled yourself and your bed and get no response from the call button. You really start questioning why you are living at all. I tired of these crooks who run these type of nursing homes who rob the VA blind.

I had to sit at a dining table with a old guy that thought he was in a prison camp. He wanted to fight one day and from then on i watched to make sure he didn't try to stab me with a fork. I paid $160.00 a day for this.