Senior Caregiving Blog- Elder Care & Caregiving News & Tips – Caregiverlist.com

I think caregiver pay should be connected to the type of job the caregiver is performing. If it is just companion care then $9 or $10 per hour is fair but if it is hands-on care requiring physical labor and managing a senior's emotions, the pay should be closer to $14 per hour. Caregivers with certifications should definitely be paid more.

I have been working as a caregiver for more than 5 years. I had minimum wage jobs prior to caregiving so much prefer working as a caregiver because it provides a wonderful connection with a senior, in addition the pay. I am happy with $10 per hour but feel that there should be pay raises after finishing training and for each year of service.

As in any other occupation, I think caregivers should be rewarded for training and for the length of service in the industry. Ten dollars should be a minimum for pay and adjustments should be made according to the difficulty of the tasks being performed and the location of the client. The employer should have a written contract showing the pay increases available when additional training is done and the increases available for each year of service.

I am hired as a Certified Nurse Aide (CNA).
I had to pay to attend the one month training, and, pass the numerous tests.
My Certification is not an illusion, but, a real training.
I have to pay for yearly updated credentials such as CPR, First Aid, BLS, physical, chest X-ray, TB & various Immunizations, such as Hep., etc...
Each employer makes me fill out a multitude of forms, and I run around for drug test, and anything to comply with their requirements.
A CNA is supposed to be paid accordingly, and, treated fairly with decency.
HOWEVER, after a lifetime of dedication and experience, in various States,
I am sad to report that, it is a "new hypocrite scenario" for CNAs... and Caregivers.
In 2006, I worked 24/7 for 6 weeks, in California, hired as a CNA, to work as a Caregiver...
I was paid $150.00 daily, and $225.00 on Holidays.
My plane fare was paid to get me to the client.
I drove her car for her errands.
I ate her food, and slept in her home (what little I slept...)
Today........ I am offered ridiculous amounts...
such as $100.00 for 24 hours of care.
Yes, we sleep.
With one eye open... I have never had clients who slept through the night.
And, I have always made several bed checks... throughout the night. So... yes, I am "AT WORK"... and, no, I do not sleep much or well.
I am used to that. It is what I do.
However, I should be paid, and not cheated.
Live-in.......... is not supposed to equate to NO PAY.
We do not LIVE there. We WORK there.
We deserve a wage. A FAIR wage.
I am hired as a CNA.........
but, my wage implies a different, lesser status.
I have one client who hires 3 CNAs.
One is paid 16.00, one 13., and I earn 9.00.
The Registry obviously underpays me...
The laws are that we must be paid overtime after 8 hours, and after 40 hours.
This Registry never pays me any overtime.
Actually, I repeatedly must remind them that they are cheating me of 4 hours each paycheck.
They pay me 8 hours when I work 12.
There is some odd "creative accounting" on my pay stub...

Some Registries make us sign papers that we won't get overtime, or will pay our own taxes, as self-employed.
A person earning $9.00 to $16.00
is NOT a self employed person.

If you got hurt while on duty...
there would not be any Work Comp for you.
If you hurt someone, or broke something, or, made any type of error... you'd be sued...
An employee is covered through the Registry.
A self employed person is on her own at all levels...
Once you retire,
and attempt to collect Social Security...
there would not be anything there...


I am asked to drive clients in my car.........
I am not a Taxi Driver.
My insurance does not cover this.
The liability.......... far exceeds logic...
Gas is way too expensive.
Clients wet their pants...
I can't drive and watch clients at the same time.
I am not familiar with roads in all Cities...

The Registries are USING, ABUSING us.............
The wage never equates our duties.

The point is.........
NO ONE watches over CNAs and Caregivers.
We are expected to have credentials and experience...
and, we become prey to ruthless employers who detour laws... No one protects us.

HHA, Caregiver, Companion, CNA..........
All equate no wage.............

Anyone just starting out, should attend an RN training.
Registered Nurses earn huge wages, benefits, and are treated respectfully.

Good luck to everyone.

Most Certified Caregivers(hha's-cna's,pca's) do RN's work as far as caring in home,hands on for the paitient when they are hurt, sick and need full oncall attention. Paitients lives are in these caregivers hands.
Not to mention Caregivers do get sick from caring for their paitients,-colds,flu,rashes,anything contagious..ect.. while RN's get paid to to the paperwork, home care caregivers are paid to do the real physical work and as it may be rewarding morally to care for one who cannot care for themself,still caregivers need to live and shouid be paid accorsdingly to the work they are performing as well as taking into consideration the health risk involved.
RN's and LPN'S are paid around $30.00 an hour so I feel caregivers shouid be paid close to that, why not? $10.00-$12.00-$12.50 thats nothing!How dare you insinuate caregivers are not worth more???
In compaired to what caregivers go through and sometimes the paitients are very difficult to handle.
Caregivers shouid be paid $17.00-$20.00 dollers an hour-especially when hourly homecare aids only recieve 2-to-4 hours a day as a permanant schedual, and they have to ride around to each case in the surge of high gas prices and little to no car milage reimbursment.
Non certified Companions shouid receive 12.00-14.00 because they are not hands on but still some enviorments the paitients are in are filthy,unclean and the companions and homemakers still have to clean as well and are still at risk of getting sick.
Their shouidnt be a question or debate whether or not Caregivers shouid be paid more, its better for the caregiver and the paitients well being also if they were.

Personal care is an amazing service. Is it too much to ask that caregivers receive higher pay than someone who takes your order for a burger? Caregivers (even those not certified) make sure our elderly are safe and can live a dignified existence at home. Some (especially family members who take care of elderly parents) work around the clock with no financial incentive.

Put a price on it? OK, how about twice the minimum wage, with some sort of benefit package as well.

I totally agree! I am a Registered Medical Asst. and I bust my butt with patients, while our RN & LPN fill out paperwork. I love helping people and I love the euphoric feeling of making a difference in a person's life. However, I am also trying to make a living to help care for my family financially. The general population has no problem accepting the fact that these professional athletes make tons of money for doing what they love. I am not suggesting I make that type of money but what I do indeed suggest is that I should be compensated for doing what I love to do as well...especially when it has to do with the health and well being of another human being!!!!!

Caregivers carry a big burden. Cleaning, running errands , putting up with certain demands and leaving
you concerned about your own health, and well being as well. We should be considerate and respectful not only with work ethics, but with pay ethics.Does honest an ethical Conduct exist anymore? Lets Be fair
at least $15-$20 per HR

Quality of life, what price can be placed on that? A quality caregiver, one whom engages their client on a moment by moment basis, is worth their weight in gold. There will always be mediocre caregivers who do the minimum, if that, however a caregiver that treats their client as if they were taking care of a loving family member is priceless.
I feel a part time caregiver, one whom is capable in all aspects of care, to include medical monitoring, sanitation, quality meals, extends a quality life and creates a loving atmosphere is worth a min. $20 per hour. A sleep in 24 hr caregiver should paid $300. daily. This is one of the most demanding jobs if done properly and should be rewarded accordingly.

I have been a CNA for about 5 years. It is up to me to pay for my certifications, vaccinations, gas, ect.. I worked hard through my training. (of which I payed for) Graduated top of my class. Here I sit 5 years later making the same amount $10.76 as a non certified hha. What a joke. Don't get me wrong I love my job and my clients but all CNA/PCA's deserve a decent pay. I made more working at McDonalds 6 years ago. The state should be ashamed of themselves!!!! We save them millions a year to keep the growing senior population healthy and happy in thier own homes. I have never had a job that was so physically or emotionally demanding in my life. We deserve to make more than minimum wage. We earned our certs. I'm sorry to say that the only reason I keep my job is my clients. I'm even sorrier to say that I can not afford this job anymore.

I have found america to be in a moral cesspool and declining. We value a person who can throw a ball more then someone that cares for someones health and life. I am a live in care giver. I am from a very large family (15 children) out of that six will help with my mother. Out of the six left none say they could do the job. The six that help value their material things more then their moms life. I put in over five hundred hours a month. Yeah some people say that some of that is sleeping but if you ever lived with someone that depends on you, its not hard to realize you sleep maybe two to three hours at a time. Some nights even less. You clean their bodily fluids from them or what ever they have leaked on to. Sometimes gagging from the smell. Wonder if the over paid athletes would do this. You pick up the pieces of their routine everytime something goes wrong. Not many would sacrifice the hours that can never be got back. Senators pass their pay raises while cutting your hours. DSHS does everything they can to keep hours at a minimum. No one offers to take your place just to help out. Your freedom is forfieted because you must be there 24/7 for someone else. A caregiver does this out of compassion and love. One can tell the state of the world when they give the lowest wages to the most important job in the world, which is forfieting the majority of your life to give care for the less fortunate so they may live a life seminormal to those that go on their way to hord more material things in their already packed garages. Until people that turn a blind eye look to see We care givers will be brushed under the rug so they can live a life that lets them live guilt free. It should be manditory for each american to give a month of thier life for the less fortunate so all can see what a job it really is. I think alot of minds would change on the price we recieve. To all those care givers that no one is helping my prayers are with you and remember there is a Higher being watching you. Someday we will all answer why we did things..maybe this will help your case then.

I read much of these comments but I did not see anything about the exemptions which allow caregivers to be paid less than minimum wage. there is a federal exception and state exceptions in many states. I'm not saying it's fair, I'm just pointing this out.

I am a caregiver , I do so because if i don;t it would be just one more senior in a nursing home with out love and compasstion . I care for a 55 year old Retired Military Sgt who has brain Injury . I met her because she was trying to get help and couldn't . In fact i cook and feed her ,clean, wash her, carry her ,take care of her two service dogs pay her bills drive her to apts and if not enough sit by her when she goes through bouts of depres. and brain injury as well as cancer . I have three teens at home i work as well and well here is the biggie i don;t get paid to do this . I do it out of love and knowing this is how i would want to be treated . The money which i would be makeing pays for her to have other care which she could not otherwise afford . She has a chance in life to come around to be a first class citizan instead of feeling worthless. My pay Priceless . i'll die knowing i did something in life besides cash that check .To those that dwell on money ...wait till you get old and need help ,,,Then you'll relize just how much you're worth ....

Angie that's nice you do what you do free, but most people are not in your position and need payment to support themselves or to care for dependents.
Desiring a pay that shows you are valued is not a "hangup"it is a matter of survival.
People who provide care are often caring by nature. It is manipulative to turn this against them, chastising them for wanting to be cared for in return. Of course,it is often women who are care providers, and women get guilt-tripped into doing a lot of hard work for not much. Caregivers should form unions like blue collar men did along time ago.