An October 6, 2008 story from The Philadelphia Inquirer examines the challenges faced by a Pennsylvania home health aide who lacks health coverage. Read a snippet below and then follow the link to the full article:
A caregiver is denied medical care
The cruel irony of her life is that she cheerfully gives others what she needs - and cannot afford.
By Michael Vitez
Inquirer Staff Writer
WASHINGTON, Pa. - Karen Goroncy, a home health aide, comes to Larry Smith’s small apartment three times a day.
She bathes and dresses him in the morning, prepares his breakfast and helps him into his wheelchair. Smith, 28, who has cerebral palsy, does data entry for a nearby doctor’s office from 9 to 1.
Goroncy returns to make Smith lunch, and again at night to put him to bed.
“Without Shorty,” says Smith, using one of his nicknames for her, “I’d be stuck in bed. I couldn’t work.”
Goroncy, who earns $10.30 an hour, has a hernia from lifting clients like Smith for 25 years. She is 51.
She describes the pain as “a knife sticking in your stomach.” Her doctor wants it repaired immediately. But she does nothing about it.
She says she can’t afford to.
She has no health insurance.
Read the rest of this story at The Philadelphia Inquirer
Related Resources
- Invisible Care Gap: Caregivers Without Coverage - Report shows high rates of injury, inadequate health coverage may result in caregiver shortage.
- The Cost of Frontline Turnover in Long-Term Care (pdf) - Studies show that turnover rates fall when workers receive health insurance benefits. In fact, the provision of health insurance may be more important than wages in reducing turnover.
As a follow up, columnist Garrison Keillor included Karen’s story in his recent column about the election. The column can be read here http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/opinion/382133_keilloronline08.html