On August 1, 2010, the New Mexico Caregiver Coalition hosted a multi-stakeholder meeting with the Direct Care Alliance. Leonila Vega, DCA’s Executive Director, met with employers, advocates, staff and New Mexico Caregiver Coalition members. We learned a lot about national trends, workforce development and policy objectives of DCA.
For us, it was an opportunity to share updates on our local work with DCA, the national advocacy voice for workers in long-term care. We discussed the needs of New Mexicans to reform our long-term care system and address the needs of workers in this state. Trends show that New Mexico has and continues to attract many retirees and that the demand for direct care continues to increase. The New Mexico Caregiver Coalition is the leading voice to develop and support caregivers so our elders have a well-trained, ample, qualified caregiver workforce to meet their needs. Continue reading »
On Saturday, July 17, the Direct Care Alliance held a Voices Institute Leadership Training Workshop in Valley Forge, Pennsylvania, which I led with Brenda Nachtway. Eight direct care workers attended the workshop that included leadership self-assessment and modules on personal power, membership recruitment and building relationships with allies. The attendees were especially inspired to hear that the Direct Care Empowerment Act was about to be introduced into the U.S. House of Representatives and they practiced visiting with allies to gain support for the bill. On completion of the workshop, five participants – Clara Glenn, Margaret Beringer, Rolanda Crawley, Soon Hong and Noel Mendes – formed a Leadership Circle and are working together to build a chapter of the Pennsylvania Direct Care Workers Association in the Philadelphia region. Continue reading »
I recently joined the Direct Care Alliance in Washington, DC, to advocate on behalf of direct care workers on Capitol Hill.
The congressional visits were to gain support for the Direct Care Workforce Empowerment Act, which was introduced in the House by Rep. Linda Sanchez (D-CA) and in the Senate by Bob Casey (D-PA). These bills would change the classification of home care workers, removing the “companion” language from the Fair Labor Standards Act. It would ensure minimum wage and overtime protections to home care workers; establish data collection and reporting requirements; and improve the recruitment and retention of direct care workers.
I met with Maine’s Congressional Delegation to inform my representatives about the need for the Direct Care Workforce Empowerment Act and ask for their support. I visited with Senator Collins, Congresswoman Pingree, and Congressman Michaud. Both representatives had signed on to the Sanchez/DCA letter from last year, asking the Department of Labor to address the FLSA issue. I thanked both for their support and for their health care reform votes.
It was so exciting to hear that both Reps. Pingree and Michaud became cosponsors of the bill.
Dr. Vera Salter, Direct Care Alliance; Sen. Bob Casey (D-PA)
Yesterday, Sen. Bob Casey (D-PA) hosted a Senate Special Committee on Aging Hearing in Wilkes-Barre, where he announced his intention to introduce the Direct Care Workforce Empowerment Act (House version introduced last week by Rep. Linda Sanchez).
The hearing – Taking care of Mom and Dad: Why We Need a Quality Workforce to Serve Our Older Americans – addressed the growing need for quality medical personnel to take care of a growing aging population. I was invited to deliver testimony, along with Continue reading »
People know me as a direct care worker – a C.N.A. working as a personal care assistant in Maine’s home-based care system. But now I want to be known as an elected official. I am running for Maine’s House of Representatives from House District 55. That includes the towns of Albion, Benton (part), China and the unorganized territory of Unity Plantation.
I am running because I want to keep the work on streamlining Maine’s home-based care system moving forward. I am also running because I am a direct care worker who deals with the problems and pitfalls of our work each and every day.
I know what it is like to live off low wages, have no health benefits, have no safety net whatsoever, and support a family. I’m very thankful that my husband has a job that provides our health coverage, has a better wage than mine, and has paid overtime when he works over time. If my husband’s job did not provide those things, I would not be working as a PCA, providing essential care to a lady that is paralyzed and living in her home. I’d be just another of those horrible direct care workforce statistics, a skilled worker who had to leave because she could not make it on her low wages.
How did I get involved in politics, you ask? I trace it back to the Direct Care Alliance, a wonderful national organization that is working hard improve working conditions for direct care workers. Continue reading »
According to the Register, “Iowa has one of the highest rates in the country of admissions to nursing facilities. Going forward, more and more Iowans will want to live in their own homes as long as they can. This state must do more to help people do that successfully – with help from paid professionals and family and friends who volunteer.” “If you hire someone to cut your hair or massage your back, the state licenses the worker, who must have minimum training. But if you hire someone to go to your mother’s house to fix her meals or bathe her, the person may not even be known to the state, let alone have any experience or training.”
Last week, the Iowa Caregivers Association and the Iowa Department of Public Health weighed in, joining the call for more support. President of the Iowa Caregivers Association, Betty Grandquist, wrote, “Each of us is one accident or illness away from a disability. Each of us is aging. We need to ask the basic questions: Who will care for us? Will there be enough qualified workers to provide that care? What quality of care will we receive? People who do [direct care] work are typically referred to as “family” by those they serve. Their work is often called “priceless.” Yet it is greatly undervalued by society as a whole. Continue reading »
The Direct Care Alliance (DCA) and the PA Direct Care Workers Association are hosting a free Voices Institute Leadership Workshop for direct care workers on July 17. Our industry needs leaders, and VI grads have become some of the most powerful advocates in the field. Participate in this workshop and join the thousands of direct care workers across the country who are already working to improve wages, benefits, working conditions and career advancement opportunities.
Voices Institute graduates have learned how to make their voices heard on key issues and have been able to advocate among key stakeholders at the local and national level.
This event is open to all direct care workers, long-term care workers, and assisted living workers in the Philadelphia area. This event is a first step to identifying leaders to attend the DCA National Voices Institute training in the fall.
What: Free leadership program. Breakfast, lunch and a snack will be provided. Participants will receive a Voices Institute certificate When: Saturday, July 17, 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. Where: The National Christian Conference Center in Valley Forge. RSVP: Please contact Brenda Nachtway at brendanachtway@gmail.com by June 30 for more information and to register.
I am one of the original 24 direct care workers selected from around the country to participate in the inaugural class of Voices Institute in 2008 . I am very proud to be a graduate of the very 1st Voices Institute.
One of the many things that has stuck with me is when we talked about the most courageous acts of our lives. For me, it was joining Iowa Caregivers Association because it brought my passion back to direct care. I was getting burned out and was ready to leave the direct care field at the time, but the Iowa Caregivers Association has taught me to have voice to talk to other CNA’s about what is going on in the health care field. Continue reading »
Maine’s state-based Campaign for Better Care kicked off last week in Augusta with the DCA-Maine Chapter as one of its partners. Maine is one of six states sponsoring a campaign focused on more effectively involving consumers in treatment and care choices.
The multi-year initiative focuses on improving health care quality, coordination and communication for vulnerable older patients and those with multiple health problems. The nation-wide effort is lead in Maine by Consumers for Affordable Health Care along with partners including the American Heart Association- Founders Affiliate, City of Portland Minority Health Program, Direct Care Alliance- Maine Chapter, Eastern Area Agency on Aging , Law Office of Alice E. Knapp, Maine Council of Churches, Maine Council of Senior Citizens – Alliance for Retired Americans, Maine Equal Justice Partners, Maine Parent Federation, Maine People’s Resource Center and Maine Women’s Lobby. Continue reading »
The Direct Support Professional Association of Minnesota (DSPAM) has become an important part in the fight for the professionalism and respect for direct support professionals. Since joining DSPAM 3 years ago, I have witnessed the growth and movement that this organization has done and how dedicated each person involved is to the direct care workers of Minnesota.
Over the last year DSPAM has pushed full force to be involved with advocacy, leadership, and taking care of direct support professionals. Our most proud and biggest accomplishment was our event held last September to pamper Minnesota DSPs and to allow them to have a day where the roles were reversed. Providing free haircuts and manicures, thanks to Spa Blu, over 200 DSPs attended receiving the pampering and care they so deserve. Through this event we were able to increase our membership to reach our first membership goal of 250. All of us are so thankful to our sponsors, donators, volunteers, and partners that helped make this event possible. Continue reading »
