Comments on: Washington Post Cover Story Asks Why Home Care Workers Stay http://blog.directcarealliance.org/2009/05/washington-post-cover-story/ What direct care worker advocates are thinking, saying and doing Wed, 08 Feb 2012 16:00:52 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: Bob Dawson http://blog.directcarealliance.org/2009/05/washington-post-cover-story/comment-page-1/#comment-2897 Bob Dawson Sun, 14 Mar 2010 00:42:35 +0000 http://blog.directcarealliance.org/?p=923#comment-2897 It is the same story for Direct Care Workers who work with the developmentally disabled. 13 hour shifts are the norm to simply earn a living wage. There are people in this agency who have worked here for 5+ years and have not been given a raise. If you are a compassionate person and this sort of work is deeply spiritually fulfilling then by all means work 80 hour weeks. A career? Horrible choice. The only chance is to somehow make it to upper management. It is the same story for Direct Care Workers who work with the developmentally disabled. 13 hour shifts are the norm to simply earn a living wage. There are people in this agency who have worked here for 5+ years and have not been given a raise. If you are a compassionate person and this sort of work is deeply spiritually fulfilling then by all means work 80 hour weeks. A career? Horrible choice. The only chance is to somehow make it to upper management.

]]> By: Ari Car Rod http://blog.directcarealliance.org/2009/05/washington-post-cover-story/comment-page-1/#comment-412 Ari Car Rod Fri, 15 May 2009 12:31:28 +0000 http://blog.directcarealliance.org/?p=923#comment-412 Direct care workers are working for below-subsistence-level salaries. Economic need drives them more often than interest or compassion for the frail clients they serve. Horror stories are quickly published if there's a hint of theft or physical abuse of their charges. Nothing much is published about their lives diminished by desperate poverty. Recent legal immigrants may be taking care of our loved ones because few second-generation Americans would chose to perform elderly and/or dementia care chores on an ongoing basis, never mind the lack of raises or promotions. The worst part of the job is the lack of respect direct care workers receive from the other "professionals" that work for the same entity. We don't see social workers advocating for direct care workers. Nowadays social workers are being trained to become "psychotherapists," not advocates for the poor and downtrodden. So who will speak for the well-being of the direct care worker? Their only hope is to train for other jobs and get out of their profession. Where does that leave us? Where does that leave your bed-bound mother or grandfather? Are we, employed in our chosen profession and receiving middle class salaries, ready to quit our sweet-smelling jobs and take on their care? For our own benefit we should do everything in our power to recognize their dedication and to establish wage scales that will reflect their expertise at doing jobs that few would do, if it wasn't for lack of any other way to survive, financially. It would be interesting to study the disparity between the salaries and benefits accorded the CEOs of nursing homes and/or home health agencies and the salaries and lack of benefits offered to the direct care workers. Direct care workers are working for below-subsistence-level salaries. Economic need drives them more often than interest or compassion for the frail clients they serve. Horror stories are quickly published if there’s a hint of theft or physical abuse of their charges. Nothing much is published about their lives diminished by desperate poverty.

Recent legal immigrants may be taking care of our loved ones because few second-generation Americans would chose to perform elderly and/or dementia care chores on an ongoing basis, never mind the lack of raises or promotions.

The worst part of the job is the lack of respect direct care workers receive from the other “professionals” that work for the same entity. We don’t see social workers advocating for direct care workers. Nowadays social workers are being trained to become “psychotherapists,” not advocates for the poor and downtrodden. So who will speak for the well-being of the direct care worker?

Their only hope is to train for other jobs and get out of their profession. Where does that leave us? Where does that leave your bed-bound mother or grandfather? Are we, employed in our chosen profession and receiving middle class salaries, ready to quit our sweet-smelling jobs and take on their care?

For our own benefit we should do everything in our power to recognize their dedication and to establish wage scales that will reflect their expertise at doing jobs that few would do, if it wasn’t for lack of any other way to survive, financially.

It would be interesting to study the disparity between the salaries and benefits accorded the CEOs of nursing homes and/or home health agencies and the salaries and lack of benefits offered to the direct care workers.

]]> By: Griselle http://blog.directcarealliance.org/2009/05/washington-post-cover-story/comment-page-1/#comment-408 Griselle Thu, 14 May 2009 15:42:39 +0000 http://blog.directcarealliance.org/?p=923#comment-408 Our elderly population is in need of services, goods and more participation of interested individuals in our communities and government offices, to create a consciousness of the lack of care, programs and benefits that would ensure aging with dignity. It is a SHAME that our grandparents go hungry, and their names are placed on "Wait list" for hot or frozen meals. A meal that would ensure their survival, to say the least. I think President Obama, should visit in person any AAA or participate in raising funds for all MOW programs. We Americans feed the hunger everywhere, except for our aging population. The service quality that is highlighted in this story is certainly commendable. In my opinion salaries should be increased for all caregivers in home health aide programs. Our elderly population is in need of services, goods and more participation of interested individuals in our communities and government offices, to create a consciousness of the lack of care, programs and benefits that would ensure aging with dignity. It is a SHAME that our grandparents go hungry, and their names are placed on “Wait list” for hot or frozen meals. A meal that would ensure their survival, to say the least.

I think President Obama, should visit in person any AAA or participate in raising funds for all MOW programs. We Americans feed the hunger everywhere, except for our aging population. The service quality that is highlighted in this story is certainly commendable. In my opinion salaries should be increased for all caregivers in home health aide programs.

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