The pictures and videos have gone viral. They depict people from all walks of life looking shell-shocked, moving through waist deep water in streets, standing in homes that are left in complete destruction, and seniors in nursing homes sitting in chairs among that same waist deep water that is more than just from the storm. Hurricane Harvey devastated Houston and the surrounding regions with historic flooding and often times these floods will not just bring dirt and garbage in from outside into homes, but sewage and other harmful materials as well.

Some Missouri residents who rely on any type of in-home care support that is paid for through Medicaid services may be unable to get the help they need if funding is not restored. Legislators failed to override a veto from the governor that would have provided $35 million for in-home and community-based healthcare services.

The home care industry is facing a crisis. Some are calling this point in history a ‘tipping point’ for in home care services. That’s because with the federal government continuing to cut Medicaid reimbursements for home care services and an increase in demand driven by the Baby Boomer generation now retiring, it’s a perfect storm that will roll in before long.

Wisconsin is witnessing the same type of trend that’s occurring all across the country: as baby boomer’s retire, they’re going to be taxing the health and home care industries. That means unless there are more workers to fill the need, some men and women could find themselves struggling to cope with their health changes and physical difficulties on their own.

It’s becoming a regular mantra in recent years, and occurs at least somewhere across the country every year: evacuations. Authorities evacuate residents due to wildfires, torrential rains, hurricanes, and more. With Hurricanes Harvey and Irma now (finally and mercifully) gone, there’s more than just physical destruction that needs to be accounted for; there’s also the death toll.

Some home health care workers in Illinois filed suit recently against Governor Rauner’s administration. The suit alleges that Governor Rauner’s administration has failed to honor a wage increase for these workers that should have gone into effect August 5th.

Young illegal immigrant children (and some adults, up to the age of 31), often referred to in the media as ‘Dreamers’ had received protection from President Obama through an executive order he enacted called DACA. This order is set to expire next March and President Trump has announced he will not renew it.

In recent election years, the topics many of the candidates focused on involved the economy, the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and even corruption. This year, other topics are pressing and one of them has to do with elder care.

There’s no shortage of opportunities in the workforce today. However, many people complain about low wages and how they can’t survive on minimum wage. That may certainly be true in some major cities with the cost of living having skyrocketed out of control, but in many industries, the opportunity for growth exists, but what about in home care?