Posted by Aaron Pickering on August 2nd, 2010 at 9:58 am | No Comments »
Aaron Pickering
More than 50 percent of people with chronic conditions don’t take their medications properly, which affects their well-being and the ability for direct care workers to provide the highest quality care. To help remedy this problem, the Direct Care Alliance is proud to be a committed partner in the National Consumers League’s Medical Adherence Campaign, an initiative aimed at raising awareness of the importance of good medical adherence. The campaign targets consumers and health care practitioners nationwide, and will be rolled out in early 2011.
On July 20, I joined a committed group of public and private organizations at AARP in support of the campaign. Continue reading »
Posted by Vera Salter on June 21st, 2010 at 12:10 pm | No Comments »
Vera Salter
DCA is proud to endorse the National Alliance of Direct Support Professionals (NADSP) Code of Ethics. Direct care workers are essential to the well-being of millions of elderly and people living with disabilities. Each day, we are faced with challenges and are forced to think and act quickly – but how do you ensure you’re making the best decision each time? The National Alliance of Direct Support Professionals’ Code of Ethics helps us do just that.
The NADSP Code of Ethics demonstrates the high level of commitment workers must make to those they support, in order to make a real difference in their lives. The code reflects key values such as allegiance to the well-being and self-determination of another; respect; dignity; integrity, justice and equity. Only talented, committed professionals like direct care workers are able to make such commitments. Continue reading »
Posted by Helen Hanson on June 7th, 2010 at 12:47 pm | 4 Comments »
Helen Hanson in front of the U.S. Capitol buidling
On May 28, I was with the Direct Care Alliance in Washington, DC, again bringing direct care worker issues to the attention of decision-makers. This time, at the U.S. Department of Labor.
We’re all so excited about the FLSA extension issue being added to the regulatory agenda, and we met with two representatives from the Wage and Hour Division to explain why minimum wage and overtime protections are essential to creating a strong direct care workforce. The representatives were very open and honest, which I greatly appreciated. They met with us to learn more about what direct care workers do on a day-to-day basis and to understand more about our work. At one point they used the word “companion” to identify home care workers and I cringed. But I was easily able to explain to them the differences between companion and home care worker, which they appreciated.
I explained that I am more than a companion and I took them on a journey through my typical work day with my consumer – a quadriplegic woman who is totally dependent on direct care workers each day. Continue reading »
Posted by Thais Abernethy on April 19th, 2010 at 1:28 pm | No Comments »
Thais Abernethy
Today I would like to talk about doctors and our relationship and interaction with them. Most of us have our favorite docs, nurses and hospitals based on our experiences or because of friends and/or word of mouth. Word of mouth is a powerful tool we have to network. If we like or dislike something or someone, word of mouth can break or make any company or individual.
Today’s tip – Be not afraid of doctors and the health care system. Your doctors are part of your caregiving team. You are also part of this team. This team is formed exclusively for the well-being of our loved one who is the captain of this team. I know it is overwhelming to say the least. As a caregiver and/or family member helping, it is (for me) one of the most important aspects of caregiving and personal sanity. Technology, in this case, is one of the most powerful tools you can have. From email to cell phones, this way of communication is a must for me. The majority of this new generation of doctors appreciates this form of communicating with family members and patients.
The email and cell phone was my lifeline with all the doctors (4 heart specialists) at UVA. UVA hospital promotes and encourages their doctors to communicate with their patients and families this way. If you go online, you will see all the doctors, their bio and email address. It was great and refreshing to see. They volunteered their cell phone numbers and their office personnel for my needs and the needs of my husband Bo. If they were available, the returned calls, text messages, or emails were immediate. If they were unavailable, their nurses and/or support staff answered. The key was that I was taken care of and never had to wait for answers. Read Thais’ column.
Posted by Thais Abernethy on April 2nd, 2010 at 2:16 pm | 2 Comments »
Thais Abernethy
There is a moment in our lives that we surrender to our stress and acknowledge we need help. At that moment, help comes. It may show up in a myriad of different ways, and if we are observant and step back, we will see the miracle unfold in front of our eyes. Maybe a kind word or gesture comes our way from a complete stranger or a friend. Maybe, there is an article we read that will touch our heart and help us through a time of need. No matter the form it takes our answers always come. In my life, the moment I stop, and take a deep breath my body just starts to relax and my brain stops racing and the answers always come. You should try it and see what happens. This is the caregiving tip for the day: breathe deeply. Breathe as many times as long as it feels good. The reward is immeasurable. Read Thais’ column.
Posted by Vera Salter on March 18th, 2010 at 1:30 pm | 4 Comments »
Vera Salter
I’m thrilled to announce the Direct Care Alliance’s new national credentialing program. Thanks to a generous grant from the Ford Foundation and the support of employers, direct care workers and consumers across the country, this credential is expected to become the gold standard credential for personal care workers.
The Direct Care Alliance launched the pilot phase of the credentialing program on March 5, in Portland, Maine. Additional pilot tests have been administered in Tucson, Arizona, and by the Pennsylvania Direct Care Workers Association. Workers who complete the pilot test will be among the first to receive the credential, which meets criteria outlined by the Institute for Credentialing Excellence and will be rolled out nationwide later this year. Read the complete announcement and the fact sheet.
Posted by Becka Livesay on March 10th, 2010 at 3:12 pm | 4 Comments »
Becka Livesay
NCCNHR, the Pioneer Network, ombudsmen programs, citizen advocacy groups, and others around the country are working to spread culture change principles and practices in our nation’s nursing homes. These principles are aimed at improving quality of life and care for residents by making nursing homes into true homes, not the medical-model institutions they too often are, with inflexible management hierarchies that put residents on the bottom of the pyramid.
To accomplish that goal, we must create a new role for direct care workers, valuing their work and relationships with residents and giving them more autonomy and decision-making power so they can deliver the individualized, “person-centered” care residents want and need. The traditional task-focused, almost assembly-line role assigned to nursing assistants in nursing homes actually gets in the way of delivering good care, forcing workers to do things like wake people up way to early to prepare them for meals or bathe them when they don’t want to be bathed. Continue reading »
Posted by Bridget Siljander on March 5th, 2010 at 10:31 am | 3 Comments »
Bridget Siljander
It is a critical time to become a leader…
We’re starting to coagulate as a direct care worker movement, and it’s more important than ever that we unite to get things done. This is an exciting time, but it calls for more strategic thinking.
Over the past year or two, I’ve been in many situations when direct care workers were connecting with each other. This can be incredibly inspiring. Many of us are compassionate people who are drawn to this kind of service work because we want to put our hearts into nurturing and supporting others. At direct care worker gatherings, I have watched us uplift, encourage and comfort one another, creating a spirit of loyalty and kindness and mutual respect. This is when we’re at our finest. But like anything, there are two sides. There are times when we’re at our best, and times when we’re at our worst. And because we’re at such a critical point in time, I wanted to offer some reflection and advice on focusing on our best selves. Continue reading »
Posted by John Booker on February 26th, 2010 at 3:57 pm | 12 Comments »
John Booker
We direct care workers are a very important and powerful group of individuals. At times, we actually hold the very power of life and death in our hands. Especially if we are CPR-certified or have some advanced training, we can perform interventions that make a profound, life-sustaining difference in a matter of moments.
And those skills, I’ve learned, apply to our own lives as well as our work.
When I was challenged, many years ago, with assisting my mother in her last days, I had no CNA training or experience. I had no idea how to help my mother or make her comfortable and myself safe, so we both suffered.
As a result of that experience, I became a professional direct care worker. I soon acquired a new set of skills, like how to take someone’s blood pressure and recognize its danger signs, how to measure a pulse or respiration rate and know what to make of the results, and how to position a bed-bound person. I also learned about things like the need for special diets and the importance of proper hydration – all important skills and knowledge for helping to maintain a person’s life.
A few years ago, I was called on that training for a purpose I had never anticipated: Caring for my wife during what became a long battle with cancer. In caring for her, I found that my direct care worker training and experience made me a much better caregiver, but it also brought me face to face with a terrible choice. Continue reading »
Posted by Lindsay Short on December 21st, 2009 at 9:20 pm | No Comments »
Lindsay Short
I am honored to have been elected president of the Direct Support Professional Association of Minnesota as of next year.
Being a part of DSPAM over the last two years has been an eye-opening, life-changing experience. I’ve had the opportunity to work with amazing people on the DSPAM board of directors, and I’ve watched DSPAM turn into an amazing organization, overcoming many milestones and accomplishing many of its goals.
Continue reading »
