Terry Lynch
I recently met a young woman who works for a local home care agency. When I asked her about her work, she said: “I’m only a personal care worker, but I am going to school so I can get a better job.”
My reply to her will serve as my introduction to readers of this blog. In future postings, I’ll provide a few details about my work and many more about my experiences as my mother’s caregiver — and my advocacy on behalf of our cause.
I told that young woman how sad her reply made me. She has one of the most important jobs in the United States, so it pains me to see her work so undervalued – even by her.
I explained that my reaction was intensely personal, shaped by my experience of caring for my mother for many years. Those years could have been simply difficult, but instead they were wonderful and rewarding in many ways, largely thanks to the commitment and support of direct care workers.
My mother, Leila Lynch, was an excellent elementary school teacher in my hometown of Racine, Wisconsin, on Lake Michigan between Chicago and Milwaukee. Shortly after she retired, my father, Gerry, passed away. Leila adjusted as well as one can and went on with an active and fulfilling life.
But at 79, Leila’s health began to erode. Soon she could no longer live independently because of injuries from osteoporosis and a memory disorder (not Alzheimer’s disease) that robbed her of her ability to manage everyday life. With the support of state long-term care programs funded by Medicaid, I was able to help Leila remain in her home for the next ten years.
At Leila’s memorial service, I sat at the front of the church with 12 women who had become our family. You can guess who they were.
In my closing remarks, I thanked our friends and neighbors for their contributions to Leila’s life, and to mine. Then I turned to Leila’s “girls” (her affectionate term for these women – and they were all women, since she didn’t want a man helping her bathe). “Most of all, I want to thank the ‘lovely girls’ who did so much for Leila and for me,” I told them. “You came into our lives as personal care workers and home health aides and became cherished friends.
“What mattered to Leila is that you were Laura, Lisa, Ginger, Mary Ann, Dee Dee, Jeannette, Sharon, Diane, Lynn, Sandy, Maria and Thelma. You and many others shared your laughter, compassion, dreams and love with my mother and helped her continue to see the joys of everyday life.
“It is important to grieve for our loss, but I also want to celebrate the gift of life you gave to my mother. Without that, we would not be mourning the loss of Leila today. She would have left us many years ago.”
Terry Lynch
Independent living consultant
Terry, you identified an occurrence that, unfortunately, is not uncommon: direct care workers, who know the importance of their work because they see how much difference it makes in people’s lives, nevertheless internalizing the prevailing assumptions that make their role and work invisible.
We often hear repeated the true fact that direct care workers are “the backbone” of our health and long term care systems. Yet such a belief is not evidenced in the discussion, image or policies related to the work itself. Direct care is indeed a critical and essential job just like firefighters, police officers, emergency responders and others without whom millions of people would suffer, direct care workers are essential and must be valued as such. We must all guard against taking on negative assumptions the value of our work. It is critical that direct care workers see and communicate the value and pride that they have in their work.
The Direct Care Alliance’s Voices Institute is a leadership training initiative for direct care workers that aims at helping direct care workers affirm their essential role and value as professionals. The DCA will continue to create programs and ways to increase the awareness, respect and value in the direct care workforce. We need direct care workers to join us, and bring alone people of all ages living disabilities and their advocates. We are all in this together.
I look forward to reading your future posts!
Terry when I read your comments I thought, Wow, he could be talking about me! I am direct care worker and have been for almost 13 years. Several years ago when people would ask me what I did for a living I would reply that I’m “just” a CNA. When I would talk to other workers we would joke about being “glorified butt wipers.” I finally woke up! How can we expect other people to respect the job we do if we don’t respect ourselves?
Now when someone asks me what I do for a living I proudly respond that I am a CNA, and I help take care of the elderly and people with disabilites stay in their homes. I no longer joke with co-workers about my profession. When I hear someone say they are just a CNA I stop them and correct them. We do a very a very important job, and it takes a special kind of person to do the work we do. I also ask them to not say they are just a CNA anymore. Sometimes it takes a few time of reminding them, but eventually they understand the importance of the work they do.
We need to get this message out to all direct care workers, so they start to respect the work they do and then they will get the word to everyone else about the importance of their work. Then I think times will change. Remember change is good and takes time.
Tracy Dudzinski
Proud Direct Care Worker
“Just a PCA” is something I hear coming from some of my co-workers and many of the people in management at my place of employment. It’s very disheartening to see such an important job belittled this way. While I can understand the attitude from my peers, I cannot sit idly when I hear it from those in charge. I put in my two week notice the next time I heard it. When I saw the shocked expression on the faces of my direct supervisors I had no problem telling them this answer when they asked me why I would leave them so suddenly, after ten years. I simply told them: It shouldn’t be a problem hiring another to fill my position, because I am “just a PCA”.
It didn’t take too long to find another company. Seems there are quite a few hiring, even with the downturn in the economy. At least the new one pays lip service and pretends to value their front line workers. I can live with that at least.
I have been a CNA for 11 years; I first became one because a huge County facility near me paid for CNA training and I had heard that if I worked there I could go on to become a nurse and they would pay for a portion of my advanced schooling. I did work there for ten years. The work was really hard. Every year there was a decrease in staff although the care was nominally good according to the folks who had worked elsewhere.
After a few years as a CNA, I decided that being a CNA was one of the most important jobs in the world. Having caring, thoughtful, engaging people to help one with the most basic and private needs of life should be the standard of care in nursing but in large facilities, speed and the incredible amount of work to be accomplished by one aide trumps.
In May 2008, I quit my job in the large facility and became a home care CNA. I still feel that my job is so important. In home care we provide a environment for healthy living for the entire family. I love being trusted with the care of the most precious thing in anybody’s life, their family member. The down side of home care is we make so much less money; also I bought private health insurance so 25% of my income goes to my health care. For me this works out because I choose not to be so stressed by a huge facility. I choose to go each day (and I work 7 days per week now), to take care of a human being that can change the time they want to get up, choose what I will make them for their meal and I can actually sit down and spend quality time keeping someone company, not parking them in their wheelchair in a big room while I go take care of the next person on my list.
Home Care is the way of the future. It costs the Industry so much less money and the bills of the environment are paid for by the family. We need to remember that our numbers are rising, we are a really important part of the future of Healthcare and we do have power that will be recognized, hopefully sooner than later.
Joan Brown
Home Care CNA