Harrisburg, PA – This week, Department of Human Services (DHS) Secretary Dr. Val Arkoosh shadowed Cheryl Harp, a direct care worker who spends her day supporting her mother, Veronica Robinson. Cheryl is one of Pennsylvania’s dedicated, skilled, and compassionate direct care workers who help older Pennsylvanians and adults with disabilities with activities of daily living, medication management, and physical and occupational therapies as needed so they may live safely in their homes with greater independence.
The dedicated direct care workforce is a core part of Pennsylvania’s health care infrastructure that both fuels our economy and allows people to get the care and support they deserve. This visit also reaffirms the Shapiro Administration's continued support of the direct care workforce, building off investments in the bipartisan 2024-25 Budget.
“The Shapiro Administration is deeply committed to supporting our caregivers who choose this critical field and necessary work as well as the Pennsylvanians they serve. Across Pennsylvania, older Pennsylvanians and adults with physical disabilities rely on direct care workers as a daily lifeline for services, supports, and assistance they need to live safely in their homes, among or near their families,” said Secretary Arkoosh. “Today, I was fortunate enough to work alongside and learn from one of Pennsylvania’s many dedicated homecare workers. Cheryl and so many other special people spend their lives in service to others, and we must be sure we are recognizing the value of this work and investing in this field so it may continue to rise to the needs and challenges of providing this essential care every day.”
Secretary Arkoosh worked alongside Cheryl inside the home to cook meals and assist with exercises, housekeeping, medication management, and other essential tasks.
This experience was coordinated with SEIU Healthcare Pennsylvania. Cheryl also shared the challenges and opportunities for those navigating the long hours and strenuous work required to be a direct care worker, and where opportunities exist to support this field through continued professionalization and career ladders, increased wages, and improved benefits for people who choose homecare as their career and calling.
Through the Office of Long-Term Living (OLTL), DHS oversees long-term services and supports covered through Medicaid, which serves close to 400,000 older Pennsylvanians and people with physical disabilities. Earlier this year, Governor Josh Shapiro charged DHS with the review of reimbursement rates for its Medicaid programs. DHS is currently completing this assessment, and data from this study will be used to inform opportunities for greater support to providers and homecare workers in the future.
Like the work to assess intellectual disability provider rates, this process is critical to ensuring that providers are paid appropriately and best equipped to retain qualified, dedicated direct care workers like Cheryl who help older adults and Pennsylvanians with physical disabilities live safe, vibrant lives.
The Secretary’s visit is the latest effort to better understand and shed light on those who need direct care, and follows an investment of $354.8 million for supports and services for Pennsylvanians with intellectual disabilities and autism included in the bipartisan 2024-25 Budget.
Last year, Governor Shapiro also ordered DHS to do an early review of its fee schedule rates for ID/A services and wages for direct support professionals who work with these Pennsylvanians every day.
For more information on DHS and resources for Pennsylvanians, visit www.dhs.pa.gov.