They’re not required to have any training or certification and they don’t even undergo a background check in many cases. But everyday personal care attendants go into the homes of people with disabilities. And as the number of hours for such workers has grown in Massachusetts in the last decade, so too have reports of abuse, neglect and fraud; they are up threefold in that state.

In Massachusetts the Medicaid program providing such assistants tripled over the last 10 years to allow more individuals to remain in their homes rather than in hospital settings. Meanwhile workers were paid for hours not worked and accusations against them include bullying and leaving people without clothing or water.

State legislators are calling for further regulation of these workers. But the head of the state’s Medicaid program insists that consumers, not regulators, are in the best position to supervise and train personal care attendants, reports The Boston Globe. To read more click here.

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