After the dreaming, scheduling and registering; all the e-mails and phone calls; the finding a place to meet and people to teach and share; the keeping fingers crossed that enough direct care workers could actually take a day off and attend a conference that we all badly need; the baking of cupcakes for the welcoming reception and the braving of the Philadelphia traffic to pick up speakers at the airport…after all this work and more, the Pennsylvania Direct Care Workers Association’s 6th annual conference took place on September 16th at the National Christian Conference Center outside of Valley Forge.
It was worth it.
It was worth it to listen to each other…the CNAs, the home health aides, the hospice workers, the group home and the day program staff…the people supporting people with dementia, developmental disabilities and mental illness. That is who we are. It’s a good group to be a part of.
I was the keynote speaker and read poems about Leo, Lorna and Louise. I’ve been a direct care worker since Jimmy Carter was president and have learned a lot from the people I support.
