Through 2028, five of the 10 fastest-growing occupations in the U.S. will be in the health care field. Of those fields, the Department of Labor projects that Home Health Care and Personal Care Aides will be most in-demand, rising more than 36 percent, which translates to adding nearly 1.2 million additional positions. But developing a quality home health care workforce has been difficult due to the lack of industry investment in home care workers.
One factor causing the gap, the relatively low median salary of $24,000 which explains why a picture of an overworked and underpaid workforce comes into focus.
Marisol Rivera wanted to be a health care provider because she enjoys assisting people who need help. She was connected with the New York-based non-profit Paraprofessional Healthcare Institute (PHI). As part of our Do Something Awesome series, WorkingNation featured PHI and the company’s quest to improve the lives of people who need in-home or residential care by improving the lives of the workers who provide it.