Minnesota can’t fill thousands of job vacancies for home care workers — the people who help the state’s disabled and growing elderly population bathe, get dressed, eat, exercise and otherwise enjoy dignified lives.

The cause of the shortage is easy to identify: The job is physically grueling with high rates of workplace injury, while low wages keep people on the edge of being able to pay their bills. Nearly half of home care workers in Minnesota receive some form of public assistance.

The shortage has dire consequences for people who can’t find reliable care, while it also has ripple effects throughout the labor market. Due to the shortage of home care workers, people are increasingly having to quit their jobs to become personal care aides for their loved ones.

This week, the stories of two personal care aides.