There was a poster here who said nursing homes should be able to ask for volunteers to do hands-on caregiving tasks and people should do it, unpaid.
Let me ask you this. If you are an electrician, would you be okay for working for a company for free? What about if you are a plumber. Will you come fix my toilet for free? Or you're an accountant. Or a doctor. Would you work for free?
So why is it fair for rehabs and nursing homes to ask for free work? Caregiving is work. It may feel unfair that part of your salary has to go to pay for caregiving for someone in your family, or you have to fork over a chunk of your salary to pay for daycare for your child. But those people need to be paid too. Even if you feel they don't deserve to have money to live on. Even if you (wrongly) believe their work is unskilled. Even if you look down at them. Even if you think they should love the people they care for “unconditionally” and not accept payment for the time they spend caring for them.