Dave Wallace

Davison, MI

My Story...

For Dave Wallace, 48, of Davison, life as a quadriplegic presents enough day-to-day challenges.

But as someone who requires home care support almost 24 hours a day, seven days a week, a constant turnover in home care help has become a quality of life challenge as well as a financial burden.

Low wages paid to home care workers have fueled a high turnover rate, 35 percent, that threatens vital care for disabled people like Dave and senior citizens.

“The turnover is a steady thing,” Wallace said. “The home care workers’ pay is limited and the pay scale is low. They usually have to find another job, which most do, to supplement their income and once they make more money on another job they leave the home care field.”

For Wallace, the turnover rate has become a financial burden as well.

“Essentially, it costs me more than $100 to train a new home care worker,” he said. “And during the past two or three years, I have had to do that about 15 times.”

Wallace’s mother, who would not be eligible for a pay increase under the Michigan House proposal, provides him with critically needed care. “I can’t find home care workers that will work shifts around the clock,” Wallace said. “So my mother has to help out and provide my care in the middle of the night.”

Wallace believes that the turnover rate can easily decrease through better pay for home care workers.

“At a low wage they will always be looking for another job,” he said. “But with better pay, many of them won’t be looking and will realize there is an opportunity for a long-term career as home care workers.”