The immigration bill that passed the Senate this year -- and has now stalled as it faces opposition in the House -- would create a W visa with a potential path to citizenship for low- skill workers, including home-care aides.
The lack of federal training requirements for personal-care aides could also affect quality in-home help, Edelstein said. Certified nursing aides and home-health aides have more defined standards.
“In some instances, we have personal-care aides who haven’t had any formal training administering medication,” Edelstein said, because clients can in some cases give aides permission to do so.
Gay, who still works for private clients, says she remains in caretaking because she “loves it.”
She is concerned with ensuring that future at-home caretakers are well-prepared to take care of her and her peers, she said. Even more, she said she wants home care to be a positive career choice for the high school students she knows.
“They’re our future,” she said.