I don’t buy that excuse, though.

First, we should have support services and healthcare available to people who need it. We should have job training, and occupational therapy, and every employer should be prepared to make accomodations for any qualified employee who may have a disability. We don’t have that, but supervised labor camps are not a solution. Employment and care are two separate things.

Second, non-profits operating as a care provider are not subject to employment laws. They do not have to pay patients minimum wage.

Third, the person bagging groceries, tearing ticket stubs, and pushing carts deserves a living wage, and if they were paid properly, they might not need to rely on their parents for care. They might choose to live at home, but they could contribute to their expenses, their healthcare costs, transportation costs, and set aside money for retirement. Parents tend to die before their kids, and then what happens? Paying them peanuts to watch them during the day is not assistance, it’s exploitation.