Archive for ‘Direct care consumers’

Good and True and Wise

Posted by on April 26th, 2011 at 9:40 am | 3 Comments »

The following story was contributed by David Moreau

David Moreau

There’s an old tale about a traveler in a faraway land who sees a great city in the distance and asks a wise man by the roadside, what kind of people will I find there? The wise man asks him, what kind of people are there where you came from?  Where I come from, the traveler replies, why they’re selfish and ignorant. I’m afraid that is the kind of people you will find here as well, the wise man tells him.

Soon, a second traveler approaches the city.  He, too, asks the wise man what kind of people he will find there.  When asked what kind of people are there where he came from, he answers, good and true and wise.  You’ll find the people here the same, he’s told.

I think about this story when I’m tempted to criticize my co-workers at the day activity center.  We are supposed to be teaching adults with developmental disabilities to be independent, but we do the opposite.  We control them from the minute they step off the bus or the mini-van.  We tell them to sit down and be quiet. We make it clear to them; You do not open the refrigerator door.  You do not walk into the office. You do not speak in a little girl voice. You do not touch the sound system during music group.  You do not talk about your brother who died.

Continue reading »

Dame Elizabeth Taylor: Fierce Health Care Activist

Posted by on March 29th, 2011 at 9:11 am | No Comments »

Elizabeth Taylor is remembered for amazing feats of womanhood, leadership and beauty.  Her $1 million salary for the 1963 movie Cleopatra, made her a pioneer for future actresses such as Angelina Jolie, Renee Zellweger and Julia Roberts who today, command ten to fifteen times that amount.  Elizabeth Taylor’s extraordinary talents transcended the big screen by sharing with the public her prodigious sex appeal, and daring to scandalize moral expectations for women in her time by choosing whom to marry and when.  Elizabeth developed a women’s perfume empire, that at the time of her death, had made over 200 million dollars in profit.

More impressive than these achievements, was Dame Elizabeth Taylor’s enduring contribution as a fierce health care advocate.  At a time when friends close to her were dying and America was either ignorant, ashamed or prejudiced toward individuals suffering from HIV or AIDS, she lifted the veil and brought the entire country together to pay attention while she demonstrated compassion, enlightenment, and generosity to those affected by HIV. Taylor testified, gave speeches and set up a research foundation.   Ms. Taylor’s compassion and love drove her to channel her prodigious energies into educating the country on issues related to HIV.  She will always be remembered for that, and thankfully her contribution lives on through her charitable work and foundation (AMFAR).

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.

DCA Launches Personal Care and Support Credential

Posted by on February 7th, 2011 at 1:58 pm | 5 Comments »

Vera Salter

I am thrilled to announce the launch of the Direct Care Alliance Personal Care and Support Professional Credential, a competency-based test that will help improve the quality of long-term care for the elderly and people living with disabilities who depend on personal assistance workers to maintain their autonomy and quality of life.

The credential comes at a pivotal time, as more than 10,000 Baby Boomers reach retirement age each day.  But while the demand for direct care continues to rise, there aren’t enough qualified workers to meet the need.

The credential for personal assistance workers will help professionalize the direct care workforce by: 1) providing elders, people with disabilities and their families with a reliable way to assess the knowledge of those they hire; 2) giving agency employers a customer-centered assessment tool; 3) establishing a national standard for state policy makers; and 4) allowing workers in this field to demonstrate their professionalism and skill.

“Employees of Home Care for Maine go through rigorous training and the state’s mandated curriculum. But there’s no national recognition for their expertise. This credential demonstrates that our staff is qualified, knowledgeable and meets industry standards – giving great benefit to people we serve and our agency a competitive advantage,” said registered nurse Mollie Baldwin, CEO of Home Care for Maine. Continue reading »

DCA Seeks Commissioners to Oversee Personal Care and Support Credential

Posted by on January 31st, 2011 at 11:37 am | No Comments »

The Direct Care Alliance is launching a pioneering professional development initiative for direct care workers and we’re looking for a few committed volunteers to oversee the program.

The DCA’s Personal Care and Support Credential is the first stage of a planned DCA career lattice for direct care workers who provide supports and services to elders and people living with disabilities. The career lattice will ultimately include credentials for various areas of specialization.

The new credential tests for the skills, aptitude, and knowledge personal assistance workers need to provide high-quality, non-specialized care to elders and people living with disabilities. Developed in accordance with Institute for Credentialing Excellence standards, it was based on criteria created in focus groups nationwide by employers, workers, and people who use personal assistance services.

The Personal Care and Support Credential creates a new gold standard for personal and home care work, giving caregivers a way to prove their competence and increase their potential market value and career opportunities. It also provides peace of mind to employers and to the elders and people with disabilities who rely on these workers, offering them a consistent national standard for judging a worker’s professionalism. “This credential is a way for direct care employers and the people needing direct care services to know when they have a highly skilled and knowledgeable worker,” says DCA Professional Development Manager Helen Hanson.

Dennis Fitzgibbons

Dennis Fitzgibbons (left), M.Ed., a co-chair of the commission that oversees the Personal Care and Support Credential, says it will be particularly useful for consumers and employers recruiting personal assistance workers. “It will be very helpful for the consumer recruiting a direct care worker to know that a potential worker has demonstrated the knowledge and skills needed to be a good personal assistance worker,” he says. Continue reading »

State Budget Deficits are Causing a Care Crisis

Posted by on January 24th, 2011 at 1:05 pm | No Comments »

David Ward

In the wake of a slow economic recovery, state budget deficits are growing as unemployment remains high and state tax revenues continue to shrink.  States that have fallen victim to budget shortfalls are being forced consider cuts to human service programs at a time when people need them most.

The deficit crisis is not discriminating between states that are known for its spending and states that are noted for their fiscal restraint.  California, Illinois and New York  are all facing significant deficits.  But so is Texas, which is facing a $25 billion budget deficit.  Given its already lean budget, the Texas legislature is considering cutting Medicaid altogether.  This is at a time when nearly one in ten Americans are unemployed and more families are relying on safety net programs such as Medicaid.

California, on the other hand, has been battling budget problems for some time and has made multiple attempts to reduce reimbursements to state health care providers, including direct care workers.  In 2008, this effort was rebuked by Federal courts and now the Supreme Court is set to hear the case.   Many states, health and long-term care consumers and workers will be impacted by this ruling.

States are already taking action and health care and social services are on the chopping block. Continue reading »

A Daughter Says Thank You to Direct Care Workers

Posted by on January 17th, 2011 at 11:11 am | No Comments »

This is a guest post by Terri Freed, originally written for the Arizona Direct Care Worker Association.

Until my father’s passing two years ago, my parents were happily married for 66 years. Other than my father’s two years of military service overseas, my parents never spent a night apart.

Then came Alzheimer’s Disease and slowly my beautiful, intelligent, out-going, and loving mother began to suffer the devasting effects of this terrible disease. As a family, we all surrounded her and my father with as much support and care as possible making the very most of every moment we had together. Over the months and years, I watched the deep love my parents had for each other grow even stronger as my father supported her needs and made her feel safe and cared for. However, eventually the disease necessitated the need for skilled nursing care and although heartbroken about this decision, our family knew that we would need to place Mom in a nursing home. And, my Dad who had not spent a night away from his wife in 64 years, had to deal with this painful stage in his life. As much as he tried to project a cheerful attitude for my mother and for my sister and me, I knew he was heartbroken. Continue reading »

PA Supreme Court Mandates Overtime Pay for Home Health Aides

Posted by on December 20th, 2010 at 11:14 am | 2 Comments »

Connie Kreider

The Pennsylvania Supreme Court recently ruled that home health aides must get paid overtime!  This is an exciting victory that will change change the lives of many Pennsylvania direct care workers in home health settings.  So many direct care workers struggle to keep two or more jobs just to meet their monthly expenses.  Many do not have affordable health care and are providing care to not only their consumers, but to their own children and elderly parents as well.

The ruling in Pennsylvania is a blessing, and gives hope to all direct care workers across the country.  The heart of a direct care worker is full of compassion for providing the best care possible, and this ruling means better quality jobs for them and better quality care for those they serve. This ruling will change the future for all home health aides in Pennsylvania and provide them with adequate compensation for their profession. I hope that PA will set an example for other states to do the same. Continue reading »

‘Tis the Season…to talk about aging!

Posted by on December 13th, 2010 at 11:52 am | No Comments »

This fall, author Terry Lynch wrote about fostering open and honest dialogue about aging with parents and loved ones. And as the holidays approach, journalist Paula Span suggests now’s a great time to broach the subject with your family. Watch her video interview below.

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

USDA, Cooperative Development Foundation & DCA Collaborate to Support Home Care in Rural Communities

Posted by on December 7th, 2010 at 10:59 am | No Comments »

This is a guest post by Liz Bailey, Executive Director for the Cooperative Development Foundation.

CDFWe are delighted to have the Direct Care Alliance (DCA) as one of our partners in a recent grant award we received from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). First let me tell you something about the Cooperative Development Foundation (CDF). CDF is a national 501(c)(3) non-profit organization with a mission to promote awareness of the cooperative business model and encourage the growth and expansion of cooperative businesses in both urban and rural settings. We already are working to promote development of cooperatives that meet the needs of senior citizens living in rural communities. With this USDA grant, we will expand that work and partner with DCA to focus on home care cooperatives in rural communities.

Many of you may already be somewhat familiar with home care cooperatives. In fact, Cooperative Care -  a pioneering home care cooperative in rural Wisconsin that Tracy Dudzinski helps lead – received several grant awards from CDF in its early development. We’re very proud of having played a role with Cooperative Care and now we are thrilled to have the opportunity to work with DCA to make even more direct care workers aware of what’s involved in becoming a member of a home care cooperative. Continue reading »

« Older Entries
Newer Entries »