GAS PRICES GUT-PUNCH HOME HEALTH CARE WORKERS

By Ezra Mann/OF THE COMMERCIAL STAFF

The impact of fuel prices have been felt in every niche in America, even the home health care industry, but that is not preventing some providers like Bridget Beard and Lisa Scarver from continuing to provide care.

Beard, a registered nurse and home care supervisor, and Scarver, a personal care technician, both work for the Area Agency on Aging of Southeast Arkansas.

Area Agency provides vehicles to its nurses during the week, but nurses who visit patients on weekends must use their own vehicles and nurse’s aides must use their own vehicles, though mileage reimbursement is above 40 cents a mile, said Dixie Clark, chief operating officer for the agency.

There are six nurses, 14 social services employees and several nurse’s aides in Jefferson County and many are traveling together or are being assigned to patients closer to where they live.

Helen Jackson, 91, of Pine Bluff, said she would not be able to make it on her own without the help of Beard and Scarver. She noted that she has no nearby relatives to care for her and considers the two caretakers her family.

“I couldn’t live here by myself...an accident several years ago crippled me,” added Jackson, who has lived in Pine Bluff since she was 24 years old. “I call them my two girls.”

Most home care is funded through Medicaid and Medicare, using fixed rates, some of which are only adjusted annually, based on estimates of the cost of care. But those costs, like gas prices, can rise sharply between adjustments.

Many certified nurse’s assistants start out earning minimum wage, though Scarver is thankful her patients, such as Jackson, are nearby so she can handle other duties including grocery shopping. The affect has been felt by both Beard and Scarver, but both enjoy taking care of Jackson despite the costs.

“If you enjoy your work, the money doesn’t matter,” added Scarver. “I’m driving a lot less personally.”

Home care providers in some states are doling out prepaid gas cards, rental cards and other perks to retain workers, who care for roughly 12 million patients nationwide and drive an estimated 5 billion miles a year, according to a study by the National Association for Home Care and Hospice.

While Area Agency in Pine Bluff provides home visits, a survey by the National Association of Area Agencies on Aging reported that half the agencies have cut back on home visits, and 90 percent said they expected to make cuts.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.