Archive for ‘DCW associations/coalitions’

DCA to Build on Momentum in 2012

Posted by on January 3rd, 2012 at 1:41 pm | 2 Comments »

DCA Board Chair Tracy Dudzinski

Dear Friends,

Thanks to the hard work of our direct care worker leaders and allies, we made a lot of progress in 2011, and there are many opportunities for continued success in 2012.

As DCA’s board chair, I am incredibly proud of the leadership and vision of DCA’s executive director, Leonila Vega, as well as DCA’s staff, members, volunteers, and allies. 2011 was a year of many milestones for the direct care workforce and the Direct Care Alliance, and I’d like to share some of the highlights with you. They only scratch the surface of what we accomplished in 2011, but they’re proof that our movement is growing stronger and direct care workers’ voices are being heard. I also want to tell you about some of the things we have planned for 2012.

The most exciting developments in 2011 were the responses we got from both the U.S. Department of Labor and Congress to the persistent advocacy of DCA and its allies to extend basic labor protections to home care workers. Just last month, DOL proposed a rule that would extend minimum wage and overtime protections to home care workers. And earlier last year, the Direct Care Job Quality Improvement Act was introduced by Senator Casey (PA) in the Senate and Representative Sánchez (CA) in the House. Continue reading »

Judge Temporarily Blocks 20% Pay Cut for Family Caregivers

Posted by on December 6th, 2011 at 10:58 am | No Comments »

As home health agency owner Tim Plant explained in a September 20 DCA blog post, Minnesota’s new budget included a 20 percent pay cut for personal care assistants who provide care to a relative. The cut was to have gone into effect October 1, but a dedicated group of activists worked hard to convince lawmakers and Department of Human Services administrative staff that it should not be enacted. The activists succeeded in getting the cut tabled, but more action is needed to ensure that it is permanently defeated, as Vice President Brigette Menger-Anderson of the Direct Support Professional Association of Minnesota (DSPAM) explains in  DSPAM’s newsletter. See below for the beginning of her article and a link to the rest.

In the last newsletter, we provided you with a legislative update, focusing on the unprecedented 20% rate cut for providers who were billing for PCA services provided by caregivers of family members. This statute deeply impacted the disability and DSP community immediately. Many providers reduced the wages of their workers to compensate for the reduction. Some DSPs recently blogged on the DCA that they are now down to $7.75 an hour and can’t even afford the gas to get to provide the supports that are needed. DSPs wrote into DSPAMs Facebook page and shared that they live in small rural towns and feel that it is unlikely to get someone else to fill these shifts and that the providers are banking on the genuine caring and giving nature of DSPs to continue to do their jobs.

What we need for our legislators and the general public to understand is that direct support workers are provided a service that is the least costly and offers the most opportunity for dignity and independence to the individuals who receive direct care services. Read the rest in the Winter 2011 I Am DSPAM newsletter, starting at the top of the 11th page.

Conference Inspires and Informs Florida Caregivers

Posted by on October 25th, 2011 at 3:01 am | 1 Comment »
FPACG 2011 conference attendees

Conference attendees with door prizes

The 16th annual Florida Professional Association of Care Givers (FPACG) conference, which was co-sponsored this year by DCA, was inspirational from the start. After a welcome and invocation by CNA/HHA Rita Andrews and CNA/HHA Nancy Strebel, the Air Force junior ROTC from Lake Brantley High School presented the colors. What a thing that was to witness! Next on the agenda was the presentation of awards by FPACG President Emeritus and Director of Education Terry Bucher to FPACG’s Career Care Giver of the Year and its two Care Givers of the Year. This was the first time in the history of the association that the award was given to two people in one year. Continue reading »

Stumping for the Direct Care Job Quality Improvement Act

Posted by on October 11th, 2011 at 9:29 am | 1 Comment »

Joan Leah

When I returned home after attending this year’s Voices Institute, I made a commitment to myself. I committed to not waste the investment made in me by DCA; the confidence placed in me by my association, the Florida Professional Association of Care Givers, when they recommended me for the training; or the commitment I made to my peers during my time at the VI. I vowed to advocate for the changes our long-term care system so desperately needs, starting with the Direct Care Job Quality Improvement Act.

I hope hearing about my journey to carry that message to the Hill will inspire you, and perhaps arm you with tips you can use to make your own journey. The main one is: DON’T GIVE UP! Getting through to your legislators takes work and persistence, but you can find many helpful tools on the DCA website, and DCA staff and Voices Institute alumni are here to help too.  Continue reading »

Wisconsin Honors Exceptional Direct Care Workers and Employers

Posted by on October 4th, 2011 at 8:23 am | 1 Comment »

Tracy Dudzinski

Every year here in Wisconsin we honor four direct care workers, one supervisor of direct care workers, and one administrator in long term care. I was honored to present the awards last week to my fellow direct care workers.

I got to visit with most of the winners before the presentation, which was at a luncheon at the Wisconsin Personal Services Association conference. Vivian Havens has been a direct care worker for 45 years, 25 of which have been for her current employer. She is 80 years old. I call that dedication. Continue reading »

PA Caregivers Invited to Free Training, Board Meet

Posted by on September 16th, 2011 at 3:00 pm | 1 Comment »

PA Direct Care Worker Association logoThe Pennsylvania Direct Care Workers Association invites all interested direct care workers in Pennsylvania to two free training sessions and a PaDCWA board meeting, to be held at Arden Courts in Allentown on October 27.

The first training will be on the subject of caregiver burnout. It will be conducted during a working lunch (provided at no charge) between 12 and 1 p.m. After the board meeting, which will take place from 1 to 3, a second training will be held on responding to difficult behaviors caused by Alzheimer’s disease and related conditions. Human Resources Director Amanda Scholl of Home Instead Senior Care will conduct both sessions.

Certificates will be awarded on completion of training.

Download flyer for more information.

Care, Commitment and Coffee with Naomi Smith of Michigan!

Posted by on June 13th, 2011 at 2:50 pm | No Comments »

At the 2011 Voices Institute Leadership Training, DCA communications director, Josh Sabato sat down to speak with direct care worker, Naomi Smith to discuss the most pressing issues facing direct care workers and how other activists can get involved in direct care advocacy in Michigan.  DCA Speaks with Naomi Smith at 2011 Voices Institute Training.

Woo-Hoo, Our Co-Op Toolkit is Finished! Or Is This Just the Beginning?

Posted by on March 21st, 2011 at 3:28 pm | 5 Comments »

Tracy Dudzinski

When I was approached to write a toolkit about starting a worker-owned home care cooperative, I wasn’t sure where to start.  But if you have read some of my previous blog posts, you know I say that you can’t grow as a person if you don’t step out of your comfort zone.

I have to say that it was an intimidating project, but the more I thought about it the more excited I got.  Working with the DCA’s communications advisor on this toolkit has allowed me to share one of the most empowering experiences of my life. I hope we will empower other people to experience the same thing.

I’ve been part of a worker-owned home care co-op in Wisconsin for eight years, on the board for seven, and the board chair for three. Being a worker-owner has many advantages – having a voice, being heard, and owning part of a business, which includes sharing in the profits at the end of the year. The skills I have learned and the experiences I’ve had there have broadened my horizons in all kinds of directions.

Co-ops are also a good way to create stable jobs and quality care for rural communities like mine. DCA Executive Director Leonila Vega says: “Co-ops are a good way to address the shortage of qualified home care providers in rural America, not to mention the long distances and lack of contact with coworkers that makes too many rural home care workers feel isolated and alone. We hope this toolkit will help bring providers together around this model to improve access to health care for rural residents.”

I would love to see at least one worker owned home care co-op in every state of the union.  If you think you might be interested in belonging to one, check out our toolkit. It lays out what’s involved in starting and operating a home care co-op and links you to the websites, experts, forms, and other resources you’ll need. And since I’m a direct care worker just like you, it’s written in down-to-earth language.

Continue reading »

Humble Heroes: Caring and Supporting Beyond the Care Plan

Posted by on March 21st, 2011 at 3:21 pm | No Comments »

Leonila Vega

Meeting with direct care workers whether they work in nursing homes, assisted living or providing care and supports to elders and people living with disabilities in their homes, is both humbling and profoundly inspiring.  The stories I hear or moments I witness are examples of exemplary heroism and personal sacrifice.  These are the kind of stories that refuel your faith in people today, that there are those who – without regard to money, comfort or even means – will take extraordinary steps to help others in need,  whether they be families members or not.  Forty-two personal care assistants received PCA of the Year Award and nine others received outstanding PCA awards.

Recently, I met such humble heroes at the 2011 In-Home Care Workers Have Heart Conference in Oklahoma.   These “humble heroes” possess the qualities I want in a person caring for me, when I need home care as I know some day I will.  I am certain you too want this very type of home care worker to be there for you.   Read more and see for yourself what it means to receive good care, care beyond the plan of care, those essential documents put together by nurses, doctors and others to ensure elders and people living with disabilities have the care they need:

Continue reading »

Maine Bill Seeks to Improve Direct Care Jobs

Posted by on March 14th, 2011 at 8:41 pm | 2 Comments »
This is a guest post from Tammy Dawson, a Direct Support Professional from Bangor, Maine, a member of DCA – Maine.

If you are a Direct Care Worker in the State of Maine, odds are you are not aware of all of the opportunities available to you.  A bill sponsored by Matthew Peterson and heartily encouraged by our own Helen Hanson and Roy Gedat would change that!

LD 818: A resolve that directs the Department of Health and Human Services and the Department of Labor to develop and to provide information about professional and career development, training and related credentialing and certification to all professional direct care and personal support workers.
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