Roy with Di Findley (L) and Diane Frerichs at the conference
The DCA was front and center at “Quality Care, No Matter Where,” the 34th annual conference of NCCNHR – The National Consumer Voice for Quality Long-Term Care.
In my last week as the DCA’s national advocacy director last month, I presented a workshop titled Improving the Direct Care Workforce: A Job for Consumers and Workers with Iowa Caregivers Association leaders Di Findley and Diane Frerichs.
I talked about the DCA’s advocacy agenda, initiatives with consumers and direct care workers, and our priority focus of empowering workers as activist leaders. I also talked about the need to address teh egregious conditions that direct care workers often endure when providing long-term care services. I told attendees that the DCA’s main advocacy priorities are to secure living wages, health benefits, and safer working conditions.
The session was moderated by DCA Board member Genevieve Gipson, who discussed “safe lifting” legislation now before the US Congress.
Di and Diane talked about the history and current advocacy activities of their association. They asked attendees to join them in removing the requirement that workers have to do at least eight hours of direct care work over a two-year period in order to maintain their CNA certification.
The Direct Care Alliance is delighted to show support of NCCNHR as a valuable advocacy partner. We support NCCNHR’s initiative to require greater transparency of nursing homes.
Roy G Gedat, MSW
National Advocacy Director (through October 2009)
Direct Care Alliance
