Mass Senior Care Association Launches "Quality Jobs for Quality Care" Campaign

WORCESTER, Mass. - Nov. 12, 2015 - PRLog -- The Massachusetts Senior Care Association and its more than 77,000 workers today announced a new campaign, "Quality Jobs for Quality Care" to provide nursing home staff with a living wage that can support their families.

The association made the announcement at its annual meeting in Worcester, where Governor Charlie Baker delivered the keynote address.

"The staff in our skilled nursing facilities work hard to provide excellent, professional care for more than 120,000 elders and individuals with disabilites who rely on their services, yet they make some of the lowest wages in the state," said Abraham E. Morse, President of the Mass Senior Care Association. "We are calling on state leaders to invest in our workforce."

"A living wage will help retain staff, which maintains quality of life for our residents," said Lorraine Hartmann, a Certified Nurse Assistant at the Beaumont Rehabilitation & Skilled Nursing Center at Northbridge. "We become very close with the residents we care for and their families. No one wants to leave, but all too often our wages make it a matter of necessity for direct care workers trying to support a family."

The Quality Jobs for Quality Care campaign calls for a direct investment in the nursing home workforce which includes creating a pathway to a living wage, supporting a culture of retention, and establishing a Certified Nursing Aide scholarship program. More than 77,000 employees provide around-the-clock, high-quality care to the state's 40,000 residents living in skilled nursing facilities. Certified Nursing Aides (CNAs) and ancillary staff earn amont the lowest wages in the state. As a result, 54% of CNAs and home health aides in Massachusetts rely on some form of public assistance to make ends meet. Even with Massachusetts' universal health care law, many struggle to afford adequate health coverage for themselves and their families.

The Quality Jobs for Quality Care campaign urges state leaders to support smart funding solutions that benefit the state, Massachusetts residents, direct care workers, and the individuals who rely on skilled nursing facilities for high-quality, compassionate care. These solutions are critical to the future of Massachusetts' health care system. Currently, 70% of nursing facility residents rely on MassHealth to pay for their care. Two-thirds of a facility's budget goes to fund staff wages and benefits, which means a facility's ability to invest in staff and resident care is dependent on state funding.

ABOUT: The Massachusetts Senior Care Association represents a diverse set of organizations that deliver a broad spectrum of services to meet the needs of older adults and people with disabilities. Its members include more than 500 nursing and rehabilitation facilities, assisted living residences, residential care facilities and continuing care retirement communities. Forming a crucial link in the continuum of care, Mass Senior Care facilities provide housing, health care, and support services to more than 120,00 people a year; employ more than 77,000 staff members; and contribute more than $4 billion annually to the Massachusetts economy.