“There is now a consistent pattern of data showing that homecare workers receiving benefits have a lower rate of attrition and, therefore, a higher rate of stability,” says the latest report from the Los Angeles County In-Home Supportive Services (IHSS) program.
Impact of Health Benefits on Retention of Homecare Workers: Analysis of the IHSS Health Benefits Program in LA County (pdf) is a follow-up to four reports from 2003-2006, which showed that offering medical benefits to the IHSS home care workers reduced turnover.
The present study, a five-year longitudinal retention analysis, echoes those findings. It also teases out more detail, comparing work patterns for workers who enrolled in the benefits program with those who did not, identifying traits that predict who will enroll, tracking changes in enrollment over time, and more.
The findings are significant because “The success of any kind of in-home supportive services depends on having an experienced and well-trained and committed workforce - you can’t have people stay out of institutions if there’s no workforce to take care of them at home,” says Joanne Holland, a senior clinical specialist at RTZ Associates Inc. “It’s such important work, but it’s not a high-paying position. And a lot of people are able to stay in the work because of these health care benefits.”
The study found that nearly half (45%) of the workers who enrolled in the plan were still in the workforce at the five-year mark, compared with only about a third (35%) of those who were eligible for benefits but had not enrolled.
“The stability of the workforce means you have better workers because they’re been doing it longer,” adds Holland. “It also makes for better relationships with consumers, so it’s a better experience for them.” RTZ Associates wrote the report.
See below or the PHI blog to read comments or add your own
Elise Nakhnikian, PHI, Senior Online Editor
enakhnikian@phinational.org
The data from our research project in North Carolina showed close to the same results. What we found was older workers tended to understand the importance of the insurance more than the younger workers. Some of the younger mothers indicated they would talke their child to the emergency room and even pay $25.00 a month on the bill and they would come out better,”cause we are paying on the debt.” The comprehensive medical plan offered by Blue Cross/Blue Shield was costing the workers around a hundred dollars a month with our agency picking up the difference which meant the agency paid less per hour because the the cost of insurance and the medicaid reinbursement rate. But the retention was definitely improved, especially when added to other staff recognitions, enhancements, and benefits. The rentention was also helped by some of the employees who said they did not need the insurance but felt better about a company what was willing to offer it as a benefit as being viewed as a better company.