The medical staffing shortage is hitting group homes for the developmentally disable especially hard.
CNY Central quotes the Office of People with Developmental Disabilities as saying state-run group homes have lost 259 employees since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The state has temporarily suspended nine group homes. The cause of the problem is that wages aren’t high enough, according to AccessCNY Executive Director Paul Joslyn. He says when the state minimum wage increased two years ago, the state didn’t provide group home operators more money to keep up.
President Biden’s proposed Build Back Better bill includes money for group homes. The Hochul administration is also said to be working on a plan to help group homes.
FingerLakes1.com is the region’s leading all-digital news publication. The company was founded in 1998 and has been keeping residents informed for more than two decades. Have a lead? Send it to [email protected].