Lately, I’ve been trying to hire a personal care attendant (PCA). Yes, a personal care attendant, someone to assist me, to attend to my personal care needs – bathing, toileting, dressing, grooming, feeding, cooking, housekeeping, driving, etc. At least, that used to be the preferred term.
Now, it seems that the preferred term is caregiver, at least on job sites and the like. I have a problem with this, with “caregiver.” It’s bad enough that, at least on Craigslist, job like this are categorized as healthcare, as if I need a nurse or CNA, unless I venture into the wild west of “et cetera.” But that’s another gripe for another day.
My problem with “caregiver” is that it implies that the care is offered voluntarily, as a gift (giver), without the need or expectation of much or any compensation. As a result, at least in the publicly funded realm (which I rely on), a caregiver, like many in the caring or domestic professions, like baby-sitters, day-care workers, CNAs, even teachers, isn’t paid more or much more than minimum wage or more than the least they can be paid. In other words, my attendants, who enable me literally to live my life and to be a productive member of society, should be paid more, much more, than the amount that is typically paid by governmental agencies.
In addition, the term “caregiver” is not a professional term. Again, it implies that help is given, that something is volunteered, rather than a job to be done and paid well or fairly for. Also, and perhaps most importantly, “caregiver” implies that I rely on their kindness and not that they are here because they are being paid. Yes, my attendants hopefully aren’t here just for the money, but what I like about “personal care attendant” rather than “caregiver” is that it implies that they are employed and paid to do a job for me, a critical, vital job, to attend to my needs to live my life.
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