Just like many new parents across South Carolina and the US, Christina and Aaron Walker are excited to bring their newborn baby boy–William–home from the hospital. But unlike most other new parents, they can’t. That’s because William was born a little more than three months early, with medical complications.
But it’s not the complications themselves that have restricted William to the NICU–but rather, the lack of in-home nurses in the state. Baby William is medically cleared to go home, but the hospital cannot discharge him until an in-home nurse is available to care for him at the Walkers’ Bradley residence.
“The State hasn’t increased funding for the Private Duty Nursing (PDN) program in more than a decade. As a result, agencies that hire and provide in-home nurses to families like the Walkers can’t recruit and retain enough nurses to keep up with the demand,” says BAYADA Government Affairs Director for South Carolina Melissa Allman.
In the past decade, costs of living have gone up tremendously, and so home care agencies are struggling to pay nurses fair wages and stay sustainable as the funding has stagnated. PDN program funding must cover nurses’ wages–plus training, benefits, supervision, and supplies. Rates are so low, that many agencies have even left the state entirely.
Moreover, nurses are attracted to institutions and other settings–such as nursing homes, hospitals, and doctors’ offices–where they can earn more in wages. “The backwards part is that the state can save money and keep families together by keeping medically-complex residents at home and out of institutions. It’s a win-win,” says Melissa.
Christina and Aaron are celebrating every milestone that William reaches in the hospital. At five months, they are more than ready to take their baby boy home. Children deserve to grow up at home among their peers and loved ones. But if the state does not address PDN program funding in a way that ensures agencies can stay sustainable and raise nurses’ wages, then there will be more cases like William’s, where parents must continue to visit the NICU or another facility to see their son or daughter.
Read more about William’s journey here. If you know of a qualified nurse that is interested in caring for William, contact BAYADA Home Health Care at 864-448-5000. If you would like to learn about ways in which you can advocate for better nursing wages in South Carolina or elsewhere, contact Hearts for Home Care at [email protected]
