Sharon Manchego, branch manager for Visiting Angels, said home health care providers are having trouble recruiting workers as a result.

She said their reluctance to commit to jobs is because of gas prices.

“I try to offer bigger assignments,” Ms. Manchego said.

A representative of Shannon’s Home Health Inc. said increased gas prices have impacted its home health care providers as well.

They, too, have had difficulty with recruiting personnel, and have raised salaries to be more competitive.

She said employees are not as willing to go out of the Temple area to places such as Rogers, Killeen and even Belton.

It is more difficult for clients who live in rural areas to get home care because of traveling time, said JoAnn Walter, part owner and vice president of CareAge HomeCare, which provides non-medical or home care for Bell, Coryell and Lampasas counties.

Caregivers at CareAge HomeCare also have a tough time putting out money for gas, she said.

Unlike big corporations, they cannot provide their workers with a gas allowance, she said.

“We can’t charge enough,” Ms. Walter said, explaining that caregivers can’t make a lot of money because their profits are eaten up by gas.

Gas prices affected operating expenses at Girling Home Health as well, and spending has been adjusted with cuts to non-patient care areas so as not to impact patient care, said Scott Herman, president.

However, unlike the other agencies interviewed, Girling Home Health has not experienced difficulty recruiting workers, he said.

All of those interviewed agreed the high cost of fuel has not altered the care they give to patients or caused patients to wait longer for care.

“We still maintain quality,” Ms. Manchego said.

Asked if there is a decline in the quality of care provided, Ms. Walter said, “Nothing - we demand superior. The quality of care, once they walk in the door, has nothing to do with the price of gas.”

Herman agreed.

“I’d like to say that our first priority is to care for our patients,” he said.

There may be reason for concern about the quality of services - of all types - currently provided for senior adults.

A survey released this summer by the National Association of Area Agencies on Aging found that 90 percent of agencies nationwide would implement cutbacks, which seniors would experience in 2009.

Agencies surveyed include adult day cares, caregiver programs, nutrition services, personal care and home health services.

Still, many home health caregivers are not motivated only by the paycheck.

Ms. Manchego said the most rewarding part of the job is being able to keep people in their home environment.

“They do better in their own surroundings where the people they know are there when they need them,’’ she said.

Ms. Walter said caregivers are able to help the client, see them improve and see the quality of life increase.

“That’s why a lot of them do what they do,” she said.

vbongat@temple-telegram.com