‘We can’t find anybody’: Redmond adult foster home struggles amid hiring crisis

Hannah's House is having to consolidate, reduce number of residents

REDMOND, Ore. (KTVZ) -- Hannah's House provides care for people who can't take care of themselves. The adult foster care home has managed to survive COVID-19, but now faces a different challenge.

Hannah's House is struggling to survive an employee shortage and a sever shortage of job-seekers, a problem that goes well beyond restaurants and the tourism industry.

Jessi Horn, the facility's human resources manager, says it's a bigger problem than the pandemic.

"This is an even bigger crisis, because we're already short-staffed from COVID-19," Horn said Tuesday. "Now we're not even finding anybody to replace the people that we've lost, or will be losing. And people have lives, and things happen and they move on, but we can't find anybody."

Horn believes the shortage is linked with the latest round of federal stimulus money.

"A couple of weeks ago, when the stimulus bill passed -- all of a sudden, absolutely nobody has applied," she said. "We had ads on Facebook, Craigslist, Indeed, Zip Recruiter, all over the place. And we're getting no responses, which has never happened before."

Hannah's House has two locations in Redmond, and each need at least two caregivers at the homes 24/7.

Between the two, there are a total of eight residents, but they are shutting down one of the homes in order to consolidate caregivers. The house staying open can only hold five residents.

This means that three residents, who have lived there for years, will need to find a new place to live.

Being understaffed also means employees work over 60 hours a week sometimes.

Kenny Horn, the house's lead caregiver, says it's hard to work that much, but he knows the residents need care.

"I'll keep doing it as long as I have to," he said. "I mean I don't really have another option."

Hannah's House is hiring up to four people at present.