A caregiver shortage means that no one remains untouched. Home and community-based care is a large component of the overall system of care in NH. When hospitals and rehabilitation centers can’t discharge patients back home (because there is no care available) they become strained—it is a domino effect.
In a 2021 survey conducted by the NH Fiscal Policy Institute (NHFPI), every single case management agency in NH indicated that an individual might not receive affordable Choices for Independence in-home care services because there are not enough available workers to meet the overall need for services or available workers at the times when services are needed.
Ella is a former home health caregiver who made the difficult decision to leave a profession she loves for financial reasons - the wages simply were not enough to survive on. Funding for home health caregiver support comes through the state-run Choices for...
Patti is a home health caregiver and supports Karen who suffers from the crippling symptoms of progressing Parkinson’s. Funding for this support comes through the Choices for Independence (CFI). However, without a meaningful increase in funding to the CFI program,...
With crippling symptoms of her progressing Parkinson’s, Karen relies on care through Choices for Independence (CFI). However, without a meaningful increase in funding to the program, agencies like ours will be forced to end services, leaving Karen and hundreds without...
Meet Kaleb. Kaleb lives with muscular dystrophy and has required assistance with day-to-day activities since college. Low caregiver wages directly impact his ability to find quality services; he needs caregivers to be paid more so that he can survive....
Joyce Thomas suffers from multiple sclerosis. Without her caregivers and the Choices for Independence program, she wouldn't be able to live at home with her husband and service dogs. This short video outlines why Joyce believes that caregivers should be paid the money...
Receiving help while staying at home has not only given Irene her independence back, but her dignity too. Thanks to her caregiver Doris and the Choices for Independence program, Irene is able to have her life and independence back....
David is a 72-year-old man from Concord, New Hampshire whose life would be severely impacted if his in-home care services were to end. He explains why receiving in-home care is so important to his health and well-being....
If you didn't know, the caregiving system is so broken. If the greatest measure of a nation – is how it treats those most in need, as a country we should be ashamed and appalled at what is happening every day across the US. People caring for people and...
Meet Jamie Villers, a nurse from New Hampshire. In this video, Jamie explains the challenges of finding care for her daughter who was diagnosed with early onset dementia. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fcQwCCgrnXc&ab_channel=CareParadox
Thousands of NH residents are in desperate need of care in their homes.
NH is the second oldest state in the country, with a median age of 43. The state’s older population will more than double in the next 20 years. (Carsey School of Public Policy, UNH)
In the CFI program alone, nearly 40% of services go undelivered, largely due to caregiver shortages. This means that hundreds, if not thousands of people go without the care they need.