Caregiving is one of the most important jobs especially to seniors. Whether it is a family member or an employee. Every caregiver deserves to be treated well and appreciated for their efforts and dedicated work.
Many assisted living facilities and long term care facilities have a higher ratio of PSWs than nurses. While we need and appreciate nurses, too, the PSWs are often the people that work to make day to day senior living better. They also help nurses by allowing them to focus on their own work that a PSW may not be equipped to do.
PSWs are needed in many situations and often aren’t recognized for what they do because they do not have a specific degree or diploma. But you know what, they are very much needed to make senior living as easy as possible.
Many provide in home senior care as well. Their work helps alleviate pressure on the family and the family caregivers. All in all they help not only patients, but the families as well. Whether it is helping with meals, hygiene, getting around or simply providing companionship, most seniors appreciate their PSWs and can’t imagine not having them around.
So what are we doing as a society to acknowledge and appreciate personal support workers?
Imaging sitting at a table either at home or in a home, and having to wait for someone to help you with your meal? Imagine not having someone to help you with hygiene forcing you to live a certain way you don’t want to? Imagine be lonely and only having routine medical visits to your home or room because PSWs aren’t around? Imagine…….
It is mindboggling that not everyone is viewing and appreciating personal support workers the way they should be. Canadian government included.
See original article https://www.thestar.com/opinion/commentary/2016/08/04/how-a-pay-raise-turned-into-a-nasty-pay-cut-hepburn.html
