WASHINGTON — For Paige Hall, a single mother living in Eugene, Ore., getting paid by Medicaid to care for her son James during the pandemic was life-changing.
She no longer had to worry about finding a reliable, qualified caregiver who could care for James, a nonspeaking 11-year-old with autism and severe drug-resistant epilepsy.
Shortages of home care workers in Eugene had made it nearly impossible for Hall to find help, and the workers who said they were available either didn’t show up to work or were late to their shifts. But with Paige as James’ primary caregiver, his behavior, self-confidence and physical health improved, she said.
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“It was really amazing to see how well my son grew in those two years with myself as the caregiver,” Hall said.