Md. families struggle to find in-home nurses; Nursing firms are pushing for an increase in state’s Medicaid program funding
Fourteen-year-old
But finding nurses to assist families with disabled children and other relatives at home can be difficult, largely because such nurses aren't paid enough in
"We are always wondering at what point a nurse is going to go somewhere else where they can make more money," Pelovitz said.
Most at-home nurses are licensed practical nurses, a designation that doesn't require a bachelor's degree. In
The nurses only get a portion of that money. Medicaid pays the provider or placement agency, which pays the nurses who work for them. Companies such as BAYADA said they can't pay enough to attract nurses because of the overhead of running their businesses.
As a result, BAYADA currently doesn't place in-home nurses because it is not cost-effective, but officials said it might under a higher rate.
"With a growing shortage of nurses and increasing opportunities for nurses, I would say they are going to follow the money," said
"I really enjoy being able to give my patients the one-on-one attention they need," she said.
So does
"I would have loved to work in
Amid lobbying by placement agencies, the
"The issue isn't that there has been no movement, it's that the increases have been so small and the cost of living for everyone, the cost of everything, the wages for LPNs in other settings has risen so much faster than Medicaid reimbursements," said
Legislation also passed, and was signed by Gov.
Increasing the reimbursement rate further could be difficult to justify - particularly in tight budget years, lawmakers and health analysts said.
"You can make the argument that no one makes enough," said Del.
Increased spending in one area might very well mean cutting in another. Nurses would have to show it could save in other ways, such as by keeping people out of the hospital, said
"There is never enough money to provide enough resources," Weiner said. "If they get that raise, it has to be proposed in a way to make care more efficient and save money."
Some advocates and parents hope the legislative task force study will open the door for further funding.
BAYADA has proposed raising the amount at-nurses make from
"In many ways it is kicking the can down the road," said
He noted that when families can't find needed nursing help they may have to take time off work or perhaps stay up all night to care for a relative and go to work exhausted the next day. Some end up leaving the workforce because of the burden.
"What happens typically is they have to become the nurse," Totaro said.
She used at-home nurses to help care for her daughter Channing until the 2½-year-old died last spring. Doctors never officially diagnosed Channing, but her illness caused severe breathing difficulties, requiring the use of a ventilator and tracheostomy tube to help her breathe. She needed 24-hour care.
"Some nurses didn't show and we would have to stay up all night," Matthews said "It was just something we had to do."
Matthews recently attended a town hall about the pay of home nurses because she believes they are underpaid and overworked. She finds it therapeutic to try to help improve the care disabled children receive.
The issue is not only a financial burden and inconvenience for families, but the shortage of nurses can put patients at risk, families and advocates said.
Nurses are better trained than families to spot medical problems before they worsen, which keeps people out of the hospital, where care is more expensive, advocates say. At-home nurses perform critical tasks such as cleaning feeding tubes so patients don't choke, administering medications and changing catheters so people don't get infections. They monitor seizures and make sure people on ventilators have clear air passageways.
Studies have found that disabled people have a better quality of life when they are cared for at home and not in the hospital, Totaro said.
Under a state waiver,
But the nursing shortage is likely to get worse as competition increases for nurses.
Dyllis Minang, who runs the residential placement agency
When Pelovitz began looking for a nurse to care for her daughter, she called multiple agencies, she said. Some never returned calls, while others could not guarantee they could provide anyone. Others said they could only offer part-time care.
One nurse Pelovitz hired was scared of the family dog. Another found a better-paying job. Once a nurse called out sick while the family was on vacation at the beach and they had to return home because they couldn't find anyone to fill in.
"You never know what is going to happen from day to day," she said.
She said having some nursing help has been better than when she was doing most of it herself. She is able to work again, part time for a nonprofit. And she is sleeping better at night. Before bringing in nurses, she used to constantly worry something would happen to her daughter while she was asleep.
Pelovitz hopes state officials will come to understand the plight that she and other families face and increase Medicaid reimbursements for at-home nurses.
"Nursing enables my daughter to live a life where she is safe," she said.
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