Voices of Paid and Family Caregivers for Medicaid Enrollees Receiving HCBS
ReportFamily Caregiving
October 8, 2021
Researchers conducted four focus groups with paid direct care workers and unpaid caregivers during the summer of 2021 to glean their insights on caregiving during the coronavirus pandemic. Both paid and unpaid caregivers shared similar concerns and found the caregiving “overwhelming.” Often, paid caregivers had started as family caregivers first before moving into the career professionally. Some family caregivers discussed that the care they provided made them unable to work. Both groups of caregivers were predominantly female. To view the original source, click here.
Key Takeaways
Caregiving during the pandemic was physically and mentally demanding for both groups of caregivers, as there was little other help available.
Paid caregivers cited their low wages as an ongoing stressor in their work and indicated that raising wages should be a policy priority.
Vaccination was a common topic of discussion, with a split among caregivers about getting vaccinated. The majority of paid caregivers were in favor of vaccination, while others were adamantly against it.
