Archive for ‘public policy’

The Time for Respect is Now

Posted by on August 22nd, 2011 at 4:22 pm | 1 Comment »

David Ward

It’s nothing short of shameful that we have not yet given home care workers the respect and recognition they deserve by assuring them minimum wage and overtime protections under the federal Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). On a consistent basis, I hear from workers who are tired of not received these modest protections, which are afforded to most workers under FLSA. And more and more, I’m hearing from employers and consumers that high turnover rates are damaging our home care system, and that workers deserve these basic labor protections.

Since the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) interpreted the regulation to mean that home care workers are exempt from minimum wage and overtime protections in 1975, an unsuccessful U.S. Supreme Court case and multiple legislative and regulatory efforts have attempted to fix this problem. While it is frustrating that we have not yet won this battle, I am encouraged by the progress that we’re making through our grassroots legislative and regulatory campaigns. Continue reading »

Pennsylvania Home Care Employer Believes Quality Care Starts with Quality Jobs

Posted by on August 1st, 2011 at 4:07 pm | 2 Comments »

Janis Mandich Durick founded From The Heart Home Companion Service with the expressed desire to fill a much needed void in quality Home Care in Pennsylvania.  Several years ago, Janis chose to put her business career on hold to care for her elderly parents.  Looking back, Janis now credits caring for her Mom and Dad with jump starting her business to provide quality “at home” care service to seniors and people living with disabilities.

Janis attributes an immense devotion to her business to a great sense of knowing that many people are in desperate need of home care. “My parent’s desire was to remain at home.  I could not justify placing them in a nursing facility.  With some assistance and prayer, I managed to fulfill that desire.”  In today’s fast-paced world, life can be very stressful.  People have to work; unfortunately many times some are left with no other recourse but to leave their loved ones in the care of a facility.

Continue reading »

Elders, Community Organizations & Disability Leaders in Wisconsin Fight Cap on Home Care Funding

Posted by on July 25th, 2011 at 1:29 pm | No Comments »

The following letter was sent to U.S. Secretary of HHS, Kathleen Sebelius by the Survival Coalition of Wisconsin Disability Organizations.

The Survival Coalition of Wisconsin Disability Organizations is writing to join various other organizations and elected officials in asking you to deny Wisconsin Department of Health Services Secretary Dennis Smith’s anticipated request to eliminate the entitlement feature of Wisconsin’s Family Care Waiver. As you know, the current agreement in effect between CMS and Wisconsin includes the following language:

“Every eligible person will have entitlement to Family Care within 36 months of implementation of the Family Care Waiver in his or her county. Every person with a nursing home level of care will have the choice of receiving the Family Care (or in some parts of the state Partnership) benefit by enrolling in a managed care organization or to choose Medicaid fee-for-service benefits including participation in IRIS, Wisconsin’s self-directed supports waiver, if desired.” Read full letter to Secretary Sebelius.

DCA Weighs in on House Education and Workforce Committee FLSA Hearing

Posted by on July 18th, 2011 at 1:51 pm | No Comments »

July 14, 2011

Chairman Tim Walberg
Workforce Protections Subcommittee
House Education and Workforce Committee

Direct Care Alliance Statement on “The Fair Labor Standards Act: Is It Meeting the Needs of the Twenty-First Century Workplace?” Hearing

The DCA would like to take this opportunity to express our strong support for the proposed changes to the FLSA under the Direct Care Job Quality Improvement Act (H.R. 2341) introduced in the 112th Congress by Rep. Linda Sanchez.

Home care workers deserve the same basic wage and overtime protections that are enjoyed by almost all other workers in the United States.  They are not companions and should not be exempt from FLSA protections under the companionship exemption.  Home care is skilled work that requires a variety of duties, including transferring, bathing, grooming, toileting, feeding, household chores, and medical tasks such as catheter and ostomy care, injections and tube feeding.  FLSA was enacted to fight poverty, spread work and stimulate growth across our economy, however, given the irregular hours and low wages for workers in this industry – the median annual income is $17,000, with 45 percent of direct care workers living at or below 200% of the federal poverty line and 46 percent direct care workers depend on some form of public benefits.

Continue reading »

Modernize Medicaid to better support people with disabilities

Posted by on July 5th, 2011 at 2:30 pm | 1 Comment »

By Sen. Tom Harkin (D-Iowa) and Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-Wash.) – As published in The Hill Congress Blog

This month marks the 12th anniversary of the Supreme Court’s landmark decision in Olmstead V. L.C., ruling that the needless institutionalization of people with disabilities is illegal discrimination.  Despite that decision, misguided Medicaid rules continue to force millions of people with disabilities to remain in nursing homes, against their wishes and at a much greater cost to taxpayers than many home and community-based alternatives.

Today, as we seek ways to reduce budget deficits, we must seize on the opportunity to make our Medicaid dollars go farther while finally giving millions of individuals with disabilities one of the most fundamental of rights: the choice to live independently.

Continue reading »

Direct Care Job Quality Improvement Act Introduced in the House and Senate!

Posted by on June 27th, 2011 at 5:30 pm | No Comments »

Last Friday, the Direct Care Job Quality Improvement Act was introduced in the U.S. House (HR 2341) and Senate (S. 1273) by Rep. Linda Sanchez (D-CA) and Sen. Robert P. Casey, Jr. (D-PA).  The bill was submitted with 22 original co-sponsors in the House and in the Senate, Chairman of the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions committee, Tom Harkin also signed on as an original co-sponsor.

Rep. Sanchez released a statement on the importance and impact of the legislation stating “It is impossible to overstate the importance of direct care workers…They provide essential care and daily living services to more than 13 million elderly and disabled Americans.  They care for our parents and grandparents, but we don’t guarantee home care workers the minimum wage.  It is my hope that…” Read full release from Rep. Sanchez


DCA Hosts Capitol Hill Briefing, Renews Fight to Change the FLSA

Posted by on June 20th, 2011 at 4:46 pm | 4 Comments »

Last Thursday, the Direct Care Alliance hosted a legislative briefing on Capitol Hill, bringing together workers, providers, consumers and other direct care advocates in support of Direct Care Job Quality Improvement Act, a bill that would finally extend minimum wage and overtime protections to home care workers across the country.

The Direct Care Job Quality Improvement Act is set to be re-introduced (formerly the Direct Care Workforce Empowerment Act) by Rep. Linda Sanchez (D-CA) in the House and Sen. Robert P. Casey, Jr. (D-PA) in the Senate later this month.  Rep. Sanchez, an ardent supporter of direct care workers’ rights addressed the briefing attendees and spoke personally about her own father’s battle with Alzheimer’s disease and the indispensable role direct care workers play in his day-to-day life stating “If it weren’t for this workforce taking care of him it would be incredibly difficult for my family to manage it…  Read more about the legislative briefing. Continue reading »

DCA to Host Briefing on Capitol Hill this Thursday

Posted by on June 13th, 2011 at 2:50 pm | 3 Comments »

Leonila Vega

As we remember direct care icon Evelyn Coke following the fourth anniversary of her landmark Supreme Court decision, the DCA celebrates her legacy by continuing the fight for direct care workers and those they serve.  Once again the DCA is taking up the mantle of change, leading the fight to secure minimum wage and overtime protections, ensuring that workers get the respect and dignity they deserve.

Continue reading »

Supporters Advocate for Direct Care Workers in Maine House of Representatives

Posted by on April 11th, 2011 at 4:44 pm | 4 Comments »

This is a guest post by David Moreau. 

Mahatma Gandhi once said what you do will be insignificant.  But it is very important that you do it. 

David Moreau

I thought of that driving home from Augusta last Wednesday after taking a whole leave day off from work so that I could spend a long afternoon, first waiting and then testifying at the legislative hearing on LD 818, a bill to improve training and retention of direct care workers. 

I am a direct care worker.  The granite hallways of the state house crowded with suit-coated legislators and lobbyists were a shock to me.  All that bustling seemed overwhelming.  Everyone else seemed to know where they were going and what they were doing and it all seemed important. 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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