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Home care advocates call to raise wage of workers helping elderly with hygiene, housework

In what experts are calling a “silver tsunami,” Nevada’s retirement-age population is growing more rapidly than the rest of the country, causing the demand for home care services to drastically increase. 

There are currently more than 13,000 home care workers in Nevada whose jobs include assisting older adults with bathing, feeding, transportation to doctor's appointments, grocery shopping, picking up prescriptions and reminding patients to take medication. 

Home care workers are usually required to have a high school diploma or equivalent, but some positions do not require it. Formal training or passing a standardized test may also be required.

Before the minimum wage was raised to $16 during the last legislative session, home care workers were paid around $11 an hour for more than a decade. 

Now, workers want that wage raised to $20 to address the effects of inflation and to incentivize working in home care. If this were to pass during the 2025 legislative session, the employer reimbursement from Medicare would be raised from $25 to $30 an hour to support small businesses. 

In Las Vegas, the living wage for a worker without children is $21.40 per hour according to Dave Bates, a spokesperson for the union who is working to pass this bill. 

Regina Brown-Ross, a Nevada home care worker, said that “we become their companions, some of them don't have families. So we've become their lifelines.”

These low wages disproportionately affect women and people of color, as the home care workforce is 85 percent women and 59 percent people of color . 

Brown-Ross has been a home care worker for eight years, and said that these wage increases will push more people to join the profession and sustain it as a career. 

“A lot of the home care workers at $10.50 to $12.50 an hour don't last even a year because there's not enough money to sustain our families. And so that wage increase is crucial,” Brown-Ross said.

According to Brown-Ross, this is the first time that the home care workers have a union and a home care standards board in place.

Sen. Rochelle Nguyen (D-Las Vegas) has been a big advocate for a minimum wage increase. For her, the fight is personal — when Nguyen was 10, her grandfather had a stroke and because of home care workers, was able to stay in her home for seven or eight years.

Nguyen said that most of the home care agencies are small businesses. 

“When we talk about supporting small businesses, when we talk about supporting our community, when we start talking about supporting those that are most vulnerable, whether they be our aging population or disabled population, this incorporates all of those different people within that,” she said. 

Nguyen said that funding for home care comes from Medicaid and federal government aid, but believes that in the long run, Nevada would save money by increasing home care worker wages. According to data from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, Nevada saves about $75,000 annually for every client who receives home care rather than being sent to a nursing home.

“Not only are we saving taxpayer money by keeping people in their homes and not sending them to a nursing home, but we're also contributing to the overall economy by allowing someone to go on that vacation, buy those extra services, go to a movie, go to a baseball game, do some of those things that maybe they weren't able to do because they weren't making enough money to afford basic rent,” Nguyen said. “It really is a holistic thing that will save our state probably millions of dollars.”

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Merritt Whitley writes and edits content for A Place for Mom, specializing in senior health, memory care, and lifestyle articles. With eight years of experience writing for senior audiences, Merritt has managed multiple print publications, social media channels, and blogs. She holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism from Eastern Illinois University.

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After Elder Protective visit, my siblings blocked my calls to my mom. Should this be reported or is it allowed. Mom is still at home.

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One murder charge, but at least 19 other clients of Arlington businesswoman dead: "It's very disturbing"

By Nicole Nielsen

Updated on: June 27, 2024 / 5:15 AM CDT / CBS Texas

ARLINGTON —  Police uncovered at least 19 additional deaths that may be connected to an Arlington businesswoman already charged with endangerment  earlier this year.

Regla "Su" Becquer, who operated an illegal home-based healthcare company, is now at the center of a much larger investigation. Arlington police have been investigating Becquer for months  and her unlicensed company, "Love & Caring for People LLC," which operated community living homes.

"After everything we've learned, I think it's clear to say she did not love or care for anyone," said Lt. Kimberly Harris of Arlington police.

Authorities learned that her company, which claimed to provide supervised personal care for adults in need throughout five homes in Tarrant County, was actually serving abuse, neglect, and fraud.

"We were deeply concerned about what we saw in these homes and what we had heard up until that point. Today, I am here to tell you that's just the tip of the iceberg," said Harris.

Since September 2022, police have found at least 20 clients of hers who have died and say there could be more. Most of the victims were cremated or buried, and only two had autopsies. One of those autopsies is being reviewed, while the other revealed that 60-year-old Steven "Kelly" Pankratz died from mixed drug toxicity while under Becquer's care.

Investigators discovered that the drugs in Pankratz's system had never been prescribed by doctors. Last week, the Tarrant County Medical Examiner ruled Pankratz's death a homicide and charged Becquer with murder . She is being held at the Tarrant County Jail on a $1.5 million bond.

"I've been doing this as an officer for 23 years now and I have never seen anything like this... we had to keep digging and going and going, and it's been disturbing to find out the details about these folks, to go to homes that people thought were a good place, and to find out it was not vetted. It's very disturbing," said Chris Powell of Arlington police.

The allegations continue to pile up as investigators probe Becquer, family members, and even people they dated who served as staff at five properties. According to another arrest document, a 53-year-old woman told Arlington firefighters and police she was being held by Becquer against her will.

Investigators said the victim, who has cerebral palsy, diabetes, and can only move her arms, said the conditions were so awful at Becquer's home that she slit her wrists. An arrest affidavit says her goal was to get emergency crews to the house.

In addition to the deaths, investigators found evidence of Becquer taking possession of clients' phones, cars, and even houses. 

Police say there is still a lot more investigating to be done on every client.

"Whether it's 20 or 22 or more, everyone is going to get looked at completely. We are just going down the list and doing a full investigation of each one," said Harris.Arlington police said alleged victims and their families should call APD at 817-575-3230.

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Nicole Nielsen joined the CBS 11 news team in June 2020. Born and raised in Keller, Nicole is a North Texas native who is thrilled to work for the station she grew up watching.

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Advocates for Nursing Home Residents Honored at World Elder Abuse Awareness Day Event

Janet Fox, third from left, received the 2024 Volunteer of the Year Award during an elder abuse awareness event hosted by the Office of the Attorney General on June 14. Fox is a Certified Volunteer Advocate (CVA) with the Office of the New Jersey Long-Term Care Ombudsman. Also pictured, from left: Meg Silverman, Coordinator of the CVA Program’s Central 1 Region (Hunterdon-Somerset-Union); Laurie Facciarossa Brewer, New Jersey’s Long-Term Care Ombudsman; Jeff Findlay, Supervisor, Field Operations for the CVA Program; Heather Hadley, Deputy Attorney General and Bureau Chief of the Medicaid Fraud Control Unit; and Al Garcia, Interim Insurance Fraud Prosecutor.

EWING, N.J . — Certified Volunteer Advocates (CVAs) with the Office of the New Jersey Long-Term Care Ombudsman (LTCO) were celebrated June 14 during an event to mark World Elder Abuse Awareness Day, an annual, international effort to recognize the dignity of older adults and their right to live free of fear and violence.

The CVAs regularly visit nursing homes across the state and advocate for their residents. About 100 CVAs and staff members of the LTCO attended the event, which was hosted by the Office of the Attorney General; the Medicaid Fraud Unit, Office of the Insurance Fraud Prosecutor; and the New Jersey Elder Protection Task Force.

Al Garcia, Interim Insurance Fraud Prosecutor, presented the 2024 Volunteer of the Year Award to Janet Fox, a CVA with nearly 20 years’ service to the program. In a letter nominating Fox for the award, Margaret Silverman, Coordinator of the CVA Program’s Central 1 Region, noted that she has made more than 10,000 resident visits at the Union County nursing home where she advocates.

“But as anyone who has interacted with Janet can tell you, to her, it's all about the quality of those interactions, not the quantity,” Silverman wrote. “Janet doesn't just visit her residents. She gets to know them as individuals, and they get to know her. She is so compassionate, caring, considerate, and insightful that the residents come to think of her as a friend and confidante, not someone from the government fulfilling a role. … She serves her residents as a fierce advocate. She knows how to be assertive when called for, but also knows how to work collaboratively with the administration to see that her residents' rights are never compromised. She is widely respected by residents and staff alike."

Speaking before the award presentation, Laurie Facciarossa Brewer, New Jersey’s Long-Term Care Ombudsman, said CVAs are crucial team members at the LTCO. They can help identify — and intervene, with the resident’s consent — when individuals are experiencing problems or when the quality of care or quality of life for all residents might be threatened by systemic issues at the nursing home. They also ensure that residents maintain some social contact.

“More than half of nursing home residents have no regular visitors,” Brewer said. “Sometimes, our advocate is the only person they ever talk to from outside the nursing home walls.”

To the advocates, Brewer said: “Every one of you makes a vital contribution to promoting the rights, dignity, and well-being of nursing home residents. Thank you for all you do. We could not fulfill our mission without you.”

In addition to Garcia and Brewer, speakers included Attorney General Matthew Platkin, who welcomed attendees via video; Heather Hadley, Deputy Attorney General and Bureau Chief of the Medicaid Fraud Control Unit; and Sgt. Michael Rosati of the Medicaid Fraud Control Unit. The program closed with Chaplain Gary Holden, Founder and Director of The Police Chaplain Program, delivering a presentation on the importance of resiliency.

View photos from the day’s event .

About the New Jersey Long-Term Care Ombudsman The Office of the New Jersey Long-Term Care Ombudsman is an independent state agency dedicated to the mission of advancing the rights, dignity, and self-determination of adults living in long-term care, including nursing homes, assisted living, and residential health care facilities. Learn more .

Son of elderly man allegedly assaulted by NSW police after his wife, who has dementia, called triple-0 says aged care needs reform

The son of an elderly man allegedly assaulted by NSW police officers during an arrest in Sydney's south-west has spoken for the first time, calling for more support for elderly dementia patients.

Bruce Hodge, whose 92-year-old father Ronald Hodge was hospitalised with a broken arm after a confrontation with police, told ABC News the incident has taken a toll on both of his parents.

Bruce said his father has now mostly recovered from his physical injuries, which left him "disabled for about a month after", but said "the mental effect" has been more significant.

His mother has now been moved to a dementia ward in a nursing home, leaving his father at home alone.

"That's the biggest thing now is the separation and the confusion," he said.

"There's a degree of confusion from him as to what happened and who is to blame, given his age.

"It's very unfortunate because it has affected the relationship he now has with my mother."

Ronald and Patricia Hodge have been married for 70 years and have three children, seven grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.

Bruce said Mrs Hodge, 90, began to develop dementia about two years ago and her condition had worsened over the past year, but the pair remained living at home and "cared for each other".

Police 'responded very well' during first call

Bruce Hodge, who is a leading surgeon at Port Macquarie Hospital, said his mother suffers from paranoia and had called police once before, about a year ago.

"At that time the difference was that police did come… and there was a degree of aggression from my mother towards police, but they responded very well," he said.

"She did have a pair of scissors in her hand but they calmly took them off her…they communicated with us… they arranged an ambulance to have her transferred to a hospital."

Mrs Hodge was eventually allowed to return home to live with her husband and was prescribed medication to help with her dementia symptoms.

Earlier this year, on Saturday, January 21, Mrs Hodge once again called triple-0 over a domestic violence incident.

Two officers, a male senior constable and a male constable, responded within minutes, arriving at the Campbell Street home just after 8.45pm.

Bruce said his mother called him shortly after she called police and remained on the phone to him after police arrived.

For legal reasons, we cannot publish the details of what he heard during that phone call.

'An elderly man sitting in a chair is not a threat to anybody'

He said he tried desperately to get a message to the officers that his mother suffered from dementia, but was unable to reach them via triple-0 and didn't know which police station they had come from.

While he was trying to reach them, the officers decided to arrest his father.

Ronald Hodge was injured during that arrest and was taken directly to Campbelltown Hospital.

He was treated for a fracture to his right elbow, and significant bruising to his head and arms.

Ronald was never charged with a crime.

Bruce said what happened to his father was "unfortunate", but he believes the incident was isolated and that police "are doing a very difficult job".

"In these circumstances, an elderly man sitting in a chair is not a threat to anybody," he said.

"In these circumstances we are relying on how people react individually to see if they're going to apply what they've been taught and I think it's sad that this wasn't done.

"You have to think is this action I'm going to take reasonable? I don't think it was appropriate in this case….but that will be born out in the court case."

Following an internal investigation which lasted several months, the two officers, both attached to the South West Metropolitan Region, were charged with assault occasioning actual bodily harm.

The constable is also facing a further charge of assault.

Call for aged care and mental health reform

Bruce said he wants his father's case to be a catalyst for reforms to the aged care and mental health system, which he believes is "overloaded".

"The biggest issue (my parents) had was accessing the system," he said.

"We need to be able to have better access for people to be able to be assessed and a system that is streamlined and provides adequate feedback to those who need to get the care, that's where we're lacking at the moment.

"We've been talking about this for a long time in government, but that's all we've been doing is talking about it… We haven't actually seen substantial movement."

Bruce said elderly people like his parents were often hesitant to seek help and faced long wait times when they did.

"That makes it even more difficult, that's the area we need to change is how we get people into it," he said.

NSW Police Commissioner Karen Webb held a press conference following the officers' charges last week, where she said the internal investigation into Ronald Hodge's arrest began the day after police attended the home.

"It's obviously a complex matter when you have someone elderly, someone who has mental decline through dementia, or through something else, that can actually articulate any concerns to police properly," she said.

The incident came less than a year after great-grandmother Clare Nowland, 95, died in hospital one week after she was allegedly tasered by a NSW Police officer in her Cooma nursing home.

Mrs Nowland was holding a knife during the confrontation with police before falling and fracturing her skull in May last year.

Senior Constable Kristian White is facing a raft of charges over her death, including manslaughter and recklessly causing grievous bodily harm.

Commissioner says residents can trust NSW Police

Commissioner Webb said last week following Ronald Hodge's injuries that she had "confidence that officers are responding to those [domestic violence] calls the majority of times".

"If there are occasions that we have concerns about the way we respond, then we will investigate, like we've done in this matter," she said.

She added that it was important for her to assure residents that they can trust the state's police force.

"We respond to thousands and thousands of calls, every week and every year, in NSW. And most of the time, we get it right — almost all of the time, we respond to victims in a very caring, empathetic manner.

"But if we have concerns, as an executive, as a leadership, that officers haven't responded appropriately, then we will investigate."

One of the officers will appear at Campbelltown Local Court on July 30.

The other is due to appear at Campbelltown Local Court on August 6.

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