McHenry County, national experts cite shortage of in-home caregivers for seniors

Charlie Marsh, 76, of Wauconda had been lying on his bedroom floor for two days, unable to get himself up, when his in-home caregiver found her way into his house and discovered him.

"His blood sugar went low, and he ended up on the floor," Marsh's daughter Barb Chamberlain said. "When we got him into the hospital, he was close to renal failure."

A manager at Home Instead Senior Care in Cary, Suzanne Reuss months later said it's incidents like this that make in-home caregivers like the one who cares for Marsh invaluable. However, in McHenry County there is a shortage of workers.

"We're in dire need of more caregivers," Reuss said. "I get five or six calls per week from more seniors that are calling for some kind of help. I could probably hire five people a week and keep them working."

The manager said she suspects the deficit of caregivers — their duties can include preparing meals, driving to appointments, bathing, etc. — comes as the Baby Boomer generation is aging and living longer than years prior, resulting in a rise of the United States' elderly population.

Between 2000 and 2010, the number of Americans 65 and older rose nearly 15 percent to more than 40 million, according to the Administration on Aging. By 2030, there will be a projected 72 million older Americans and 2.4 million older Illinoisans. That said, experts in the field have indicated more seniors, like Marsh, are choosing to maintain independence and remain in their own homes for as long as possible.

Nancy Lundebjerg, chief operating officer for the American Geriatrics Society and a co-convener for the Eldercare Workforce Alliance, in a statement said access to a well-trained workforce to care for older adults will, therefore, be critical in the coming years.

"The Bureau of Labor Statistics has said over the past several years that direct-care workers, including home health and personal care aids, are one of the fastest-growing jobs in the country," Lundebjerg said. "Yet, many direct-care positions remain unfilled, especially those who provide care in the home setting."

The demand for both personal care aides and home health aides is expected to increase by nearly 50 percent by 2022, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

In Illinois, the state's Department on Aging has not yet noticed a deficit of caregivers, but given the forthcoming demographic trends, officials expect a shortage in the near future.

"I know that's something that will be coming up very shortly as we start having conversations with providers," said Joseph Mason, division manager of home and community services for the IDoA. "We'll be looking for ways to strengthen that workforce pertaining to home-care work."

Those workers give the elderly a way to continue living the way they want despite chronic or debilitating conditions, Reuss said.

"We have a strong belief that if a senior so chooses to age in place, they have the right to do that," she said. "We don't think any senior should lose their home just because they lose their license or they have arthritis or can't cook anymore. Their memories and lives are in those homes, so why move them?"

The want to age in an independent manner is not lost on the Wauconda man's caregiver, Shawnee Damitz of Wonder Lake. Damitz, who still visits Marsh three times a week, began as an in-home aide wanting to try something new. After getting into the job, the 47-year-old told her husband she had finally found her purpose.

"I see these people, and I think, this is me 50 years down the line," Damitz said. "It's nice to know there could be people who will help me like this when I've reached that phase of life."