When we talk about the need for direct care workers, we tend to focus on the growing population of elders with dementia and other age-related disorders. But a lot of children and young adults need chronic care, and their numbers are growing too.
On this Veteran’s Day, the staff of the DCA is thinking of the hundreds of thousands of soldiers who have sustained lifelong impairments in the line of duty. We honor their sacrifice – and we honor the direct care workers who help them regain and maintain their independence and quality of life.
In a piece in today’s Huffington Post, journalist Bob Woodruff, who was seriously injured by a roadside bomb while reporting in Iraq, notes that 320,000 veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan have sustained traumatic brain injuries, and nearly 20 percent will report symptoms of post traumatic stress disorder or major depression.
These wounded warriors and their families need a lot of support and assistance to heal their physical and emotional wounds and to adjust to a new way of living. We wish them luck, and we thank the direct care workers who provide much of that support.
Elise Nakhnikian
Communications Director
Direct Care Alliance
