Time To Boost Pay For These 'Miracle Workers' In New Jersey, Mom Says

ESSEX COUNTY, NJ — How much would you pay for a “miracle worker?” Hopefully, more than $16 per hour, a New Jersey family says.

Rachel Fine, 28, has faced challenges that would test even the strongest of wills. She has multiple disabilities – both physical and intellectual – as well as several chronic medical conditions, including epilepsy. Despite these difficulties, she is able to enjoy a happy life at home in Bloomfield alongside her mother, Cindy, and her beloved dog, Patch.

And her longtime home health aide is a big reason why.

Here’s the thing, Fine explained. Due to the severity of her disabilities, her daughter needs constant supervision and care. Caregivers need to be able to tell when a seizure is about to happen, something that requires the ability to detect subtle changes in her alertness or behavior.

Rachel’s ability to communicate is also very limited, and although she approximates some words, she can’t engage in conversation. So it’s very important for people working with Rachel to be able to read her facial expressions and body language – and that only comes with experience, her mother says.

Enter Belleville native Susette Bato.

In the past, Rachel has had a revolving door of aides – and sometimes no aide at all. But through a burst of good luck, the Fines managed to land Bato about four years ago. It has been a match made in heaven.

“Susette is a miracle worker,” Fine attested. “I trust her implicitly.”

Bato isn’t only able to keep up with the strenuous demands of her job: she’s been able to help Rachel thrive, Fine told Patch, accompanying her as she pedals her yellow therapeutic tricycle throughout the neighborhood – making the duo a well-known presence in the neighborhood.

“Rachel’s face lights up the minute she sees Susette arrive,” she said. “That means everything.”

UNDERPAID, BUT NOT UNDERAPPRECIATED

It may seem like a good news story at first glance, but the relationship between Rachel and Bato is an exception in New Jersey – not the rule.

The reality? Home health aides are significantly underpaid, Fine says.

Notoriously low wages – sometimes as puny as $16 an hour – have made the job an unappealing career path for many talented workers. The wage is barely above New Jersey’s minimum, which recently hit $15.13 per hour. And many caregivers are throwing their hands up and taking better-paying jobs in retail, delivery and other industries.

• See Related: NJ Raises Minimum Wage To $15 (But It Still Isn't Enough To Live On)
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When aides leave the profession because they don’t pay a living wage, it is families like the Fines that suffer. And that’s why advocates are asking for New Jersey officials to increase state funding for home health care in an attempt to attract – and retain – more people like Bato.

Gov. Phil Murphy didn’t make specific mention of home health care aides in his budget address held last month. However, the governor said that the state’s annual spending plan will have funding to combat critical workforce shortages in fields such as education and health care – although some experts have insisted it’s only a drop in the bucket. Read More: $5M Earmark In NJ Budget Won't Fix Nursing Shortage, Union Says

Bato isn’t the only aide providing services to Rachel, her mother pointed out. She also gets less frequent visits from two other compassionate aides, which is critical to maintaining a steady living situation for the 28-year-old.

When staffing is short or an aide calls out, the burden of care falls on the family. And even with the full spectrum of help that she gets, Fine often finds herself once again assuming the mantle as her daughter’s sole caregiver.

The irony? Increasing funding for home health care and paying aides a higher wage is not only the “right thing to do” – but it’s also more cost-effective for New Jersey, Fine claims.

“By postponing or avoiding more expensive out-of-home placements, the state can save money and help our most vulnerable receive the care that they truly deserve at home with their loved ones,” she said.

Bato – who is employed with nonprofit Bayada Home Health Care – also provides services to Rachel through the New Jersey Division of Developmental Disabilities (DDD).

The care that Bato provides through Bayada are funded through Medicaid insurance. Unfortunately, the rate of Medicaid reimbursement makes it difficult for the nonprofit to provide an attractive, sustainable wage to home health aides, Fine said.

She elaborated on the problem in an email to Patch:

“Because Rachel’s disabilities are severe, she is assigned a significant budget by the DDD. This budget pays for a day program which she attends for close to six hours each day. I was fortunate to find out that there were funds left in the budget to hire a so-called ‘Self-Directed Employee’” which is a person who works with an individual with disabilities at home and in the community, with an aim at enhancing the person’s participation in the community. Using these funds, I am able to provide Susette with a significantly higher hourly wage more fitting to her skill set. Bayada allowed me to pursue this additional funding source for Susette because it was clear that Susette would not be able to afford to remain with Rachel without a higher rate of pay.”

Currently, Bato is providing about half of her hours through Bayada and half through the DDD budget.

Fine said that she’s trying her best to keep up with her job and the other responsibilities that come with running a household – while also trying to enjoy quality time with her daughter. But as Fine nears her 63rd birthday, she’s finding that the help someone like Bato can offer is more welcome – and needed.

“Parents of severely disabled individuals are exhausted and need the help,” Fine told Patch. “As we get older, it becomes more difficult to care for our loved ones and with the right help, we can give our children the care they deserve.”

“An extra pair of hands goes a long way for our family,” she said.

• See Related: Can't See Your Primary Doctor In NJ? Pay Might Be To Blame
• See Related: New Jersey Makes Progress On Disability Access: 8 Encouraging Stories

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