The Caring Class: Home Health Aides in Crisis (The Culture and Politics of Health Care Work)

The number of elderly and disabled Americans in need of home health care is increasing annually, even as the pool of people—almost always women—willing to do this job gets smaller and smaller. The Caring Class takes readers inside the reality of home health care by following the lives of women training and working as home health aides in the South Bronx. Richard Schweid examines home health care in detail, focusing on the women who tend to our elderly and disabled loved ones and how we fail to value their work. They are paid minimum wage so that we might be absent, getting on with our own lives. The book calls for a rethinking of home health care and explains why changes are urgent: the current system offers neither a good way to live nor a good way to die. By improving the job of home health aide, Schweid shows, we can reduce income inequality and create a pool of qualified, competent home health care providers who would contribute to the well-being of us all. The Caring Class also serves as a guide into the world of our home health care system. Nearly 50 million US families look after an elderly or disabled loved one. This book explains the issues and choices they face. Schweid explores the narratives, histories, and people behind home health care in the United States, examining how we might improve the lives of both those who receive care and those who provide it.

The number of elderly and disabled Americans in need of home health care is increasing annually, even as the pool of people—almost always women—willing to do this job gets smaller and smaller. The Caring Class takes readers inside the reality of home health care by following the lives of women training and working as home health aides in the South Bronx.

Richard Schweid examines home health care in detail, focusing on the women who tend to our elderly and disabled loved ones and how we fail to value their work. They are paid minimum wage so that we might be absent, getting on with our own lives. The book calls for a rethinking of home health care and explains why changes are urgent: the current system offers neither a good way to live nor a good way to die. By improving the job of home health aide, Schweid shows, we can reduce income inequality and create a pool of qualified, competent home health care providers who would contribute to the well-being of us all.

The Caring Class also serves as a guide into the world of our home health care system. Nearly 50 million US families look after an elderly or disabled loved one. This book explains the issues and choices they face. Schweid explores the narratives, histories, and people behind home health care in the United States, examining how we might improve the lives of both those who receive care and those who provide it.

The number of elderly and disabled Americans in need of home care is increasing annually, even as the pool of people-almost always women-willing to do this job gets smaller and smaller. The Caring Class takes readers inside the reality of home health care by following the lives of women training and working as home health aides in the South Bronx. Richard Schweid examines home health care in detail, focusing on the women who care for our elderly and disabled loved ones, and how we fail to value their work. They are paid minimum wage in order that we might be absent, getting on with our own lives. The book calls for a rethinking of home health care and explains why changes are urgent. The current system offers neither a good way to live, nor a good way to die. By improving the job of home health aide, Schweid shows us, we can reduce income inequality, and create a pool of qualified, competent home health care providers who would contribute to the well-being of us all. The Caring Class also serves as a guide into the world of our home health care system. Nearly 50 million American families deal with caring for an elderly or disabled family member. This book explains the issues and choices they will face. Schweid explores the narratives, history, and people behind home health care in the United States, examining how we might improve the lives of both those who receive care and those who provide it

The number of elderly and disabled Americans in need of homehealth care is increasing annually, even as the pool ofpeople-almost always women-willing to do this job gets smaller andsmaller. The Caring Class takes readers inside the realityof home health care by following the lives of women training andworking as home health aides in the South Bronx.

Richard Schweid examines home health care in detail, focusing onthe women who tend to our elderly and disabled loved ones and howwe fail to value their work. They are paid minimum wage so that wemight be absent, getting on with our own lives. The book calls fora rethinking of home health care and explains why changes areurgent: the current system offers neither a good way to live nor agood way to die. By improving the job of home health aide, Schweidshows, we can reduce income inequality and create a pool ofqualified, competent home health care providers who wouldcontribute to the well-being of us all.

The Caring Class also serves as a guide into the worldof our home health care system. Nearly 50 million US families lookafter an elderly or disabled loved one. This book explains theissues and choices they face. Schweid explores the narratives,histories, and people behind home health care in the United States,examining how we might improve the lives of both those who receivecare and those who provide it.

"The book is an absorbing look into our home health care system. To write the book, Richard Schweid rented an apartment in the Bronx, sat in on training courses provided by Cooperative Health Care Associates for home health aides, and lived among those he was interviewing. With one compelling story after another, Schweid introduces us to the people who take these jobs and gives us a visceral sense of what home health care entails, the agencies that provide it, the policies that regulate it, and the clients who receive it."-- Provided by publisher