Please be aware of the job listings that are titled "Quality Caregivers Needed" or "PCA (Personal Care Attendant) For Home Care"
While this is NOT a scam (Hawthorne Group IS a legitimate home care staffing agency) the person you will be caring for is not an easy going individual.
The posted job requirements are correct, however the pay rate will not be a range between $22-$28/hr. You will work a 12 hour shift (actually 10.5 because the client encourages you to steal time from the company as their "bonus" to you) and the employer will average your first eight hours of base pay at $20.53 and then pay you OT for the next 4 hours (even though this is clearly against posted state laws)
So, really you're making $24/hr and that's nothing to complain about, especially for an entry level in home caregiver position (unless you have regularly counted on those sweet OT hours in the health care field). And if you have compartmentalized your self respect, this actually may be the perfect position for you. Please apply! This individual deserves caregivers who can respectfully attend to them and still go home with their self worth intact. I am not being facetious. Every person deserves the highest level of care and respect, especially when they absolutely cannot care for themselves.
However, YOU also deserve the highest level of care and respect back from the people you are assisting. And this individual is not capable of balancing the tables. This individual is racist (i.e. will not shop at the Sparks Costco because there are "too many BIPOC people there" (obviously he did NOT use the acronym) yet over half is staff is BIPOC. This individual will speak to their other staff about your body size, sexual preferences, social standing, relationship status, medical history…if you've spoken about the smallest inkling of your life they will discuss it, to the point of asking specifically what doctors you are visiting. Bringing complaints to the agency will change nothing. What can they do? They have a responsibility to find caregivers who can meet this individual at their level, and they do try to warn you of their character when you are hired.
This individual will yell at you and berate you when you make the smallest mistakes. They will even go so far as to call you a "stupid piece of shit" when you accidentally trip over a cord going from their wheelchair to the outlet. And maybe you can take repeated verbal assaults per day (I know I've been called every name in the book and thought I was a "Salty Sailor Savior") but can you listen to someone continually berate and belittle their partner, while watching that partner give every ounce of themselves to one of the most selfish individuals you will ever come across?
If you can, then this role really is for you and I am seriously encouraging you to apply. Everyone involved deserves the relief felt from not having to continuously try to find "Quality Caregivers". They literally hire every person that even barely meets their requirements. They are THAT DESPERATE. So you have an excellent shot at this oportunity
If you have gotten this far, and are still considering this role I would like to share just one more bit of information, the part that actually made me walk out.
This individual is a creepy sexual preditor. Obviously, they cannot act on any of their physical desires, they are quadriplegic after all. However they take every opportunity they can to make sexual comments. They will work into at least one conversation every shift topics such as, how they had intercourse after their injury, their sexual prowess in the past and currently, and they will try to get you to discuss your own intimate relationships. They will even reduce any pain or injury you are dealing with to resulting from "all that kinky sex you had last night”
I truly hope there are individuals out there who can fill this role long term. However, if you are working on deepening your self respect and boundaries in the workplace, this position is not for you.
Take care beautiful souls.