When you are sick or in need, there is no doubt that you want to be in the comfort of your own home. Delaware's home care programs allow medically vulnerable people to receive the services they need to stay safe, healthy, and live their best quality of life at home. However, home care is far too often not an easily accessible option for seniors and residents with disabilities, as Delaware's public funding system currently does not allow home caregivers to earn competitive wages. many.
If health care providers are unable to recruit and retain enough home aides and nurses to meet these essential needs, residents in need of care will be unable to access those services. Families often have to take time off from work, sleep, or give up other responsibilities to care for a loved one. Family caregivers often have to make the difficult and costly decision to quit their job entirely or place their relative in an institution to provide care. State involvement is needed to ensure that Delawareans who need home care can receive it now and in the future.
Home care is not only the obvious choice for individuals who need long-term care, it is also the obvious choice for the nation. Home health care costs significantly less than institutional care and, if invested properly, can lead to significant Medicaid savings for states. A 2023 Genworth study found that nursing home care costs twice as much as home care in Delaware. In other words, it costs the same to keep two people living in their desired home as it costs to keep one person in a nursing home. This is a significant cost savings potential for Delaware and should be considered immediately given Delaware's rapidly aging population and increasing number of people with disabilities. Recent estimates indicate that by 2030, people 60 and older will make up nearly 30% of Delaware's population.
For Craig Colby of Delaware, who has lived with ALS for 17 years, home care allows him to live the life he wants, where he wants. Last year, he told the Joint Finance Committee: “I need 24/7 care and cannot be left alone under any circumstances. That's when I learned about home health companies and their nurses. Unfortunately, nurses' salaries are far from industry average, which makes it very difficult for agencies to hire and retain nurses who can maintain the level of care I need.
“I think some people are content to go to an institution and end their lives there. “For me, that was never an option,” Colby said. “It’s safer to be at home because you have a nurse who knows what needs to be done and maintains consistency of care.”
To ensure that Craig and thousands of other current and future home health recipients receive the help they need, we urge relevant state agencies to increase Medicaid funding for home health care. . If home health care providers are unable to recruit and retain a dedicated and well-paid workforce, the growing needs of medically vulnerable young people and older adults will not be met, and they, their loved ones, And our communities will suffer.
Changes that make home care more available and more affordable are possible, and it's up to us, our elected officials, to make it happen. In this Congress, we will once again hear the same voice from our critical stakeholder community: families, caregivers, nurses, and care providers. Medicaid rates for home care services in Delaware have increased over the past few years, but they have yet to catch up. Keep pace with inflationary needs. Unless we adjust appropriately to real-time developments, Delaware's most vulnerable populations will continue to experience unnecessary hardship. Let's work together to ensure our state's residents can stay where they want and need to be: in their homes.
State Sen. Kyla Hofner represents Delaware's 14th Senate District and Representative Kendra Johnson represents Delaware's 5th District.
