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	<title>News and Opinions « Direct Care Alliance &#187; States</title>
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	<description>What direct care worker advocates are thinking, saying and doing</description>
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		<title>An Honest Day’s Work Deserves Fair Pay</title>
		<link>http://blog.directcarealliance.org/2012/01/an-honest-day%e2%80%99s-work-deserves-fair-pay/</link>
		<comments>http://blog.directcarealliance.org/2012/01/an-honest-day%e2%80%99s-work-deserves-fair-pay/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 29 Jan 2012 16:48:25 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Mohan Varghese</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Featured News]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[legislation and regulation]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Minimum wage and overtime for home care workers]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[respect]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[skills and attributes]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[South Dakota]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[wages and benefits]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[workloads]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.directcarealliance.org/?p=4676</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[A home care workers explains why we need to enact the proposed home care rule It is only just to give home health care workers the basic rights that are guaranteed by the Fair Labor Standards Act.  If you look at any other job that’s non-salaried, they have those rights. If you work at a [...]]]></description>
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		<slash:comments>4</slash:comments>
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		<title>A Landmark Day for Home Care Workers</title>
		<link>http://blog.directcarealliance.org/2011/12/a-landmark-day-for-home-care-workers/</link>
		<comments>http://blog.directcarealliance.org/2011/12/a-landmark-day-for-home-care-workers/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 20 Dec 2011 05:03:11 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Tracy Dudzinski</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Advocacy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[as leaders]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[events]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Featured News]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[legislation and regulation]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Minimum wage and overtime for home care workers]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[wages and benefits]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Wisconsin]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.directcarealliance.org/?p=4533</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Last Thursday was a big day in the history of the fight for direct care worker rights, and I was lucky enough to be right there in Washington, DC, representing DCA and my fellow home care workers when President Obama made the announcement. (That’s me in the video, right behind the President’s left shoulder). The [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://blog.directcarealliance.org/2011/12/a-landmark-day-for-home-care-workers/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>5</slash:comments>
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		<title>Home Care Agency Owner Finds Caregiver Training Invaluable</title>
		<link>http://blog.directcarealliance.org/2011/12/home-care-agency-owner-finds-caregiver-training-invaluable/</link>
		<comments>http://blog.directcarealliance.org/2011/12/home-care-agency-owner-finds-caregiver-training-invaluable/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 13 Dec 2011 04:34:03 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Bob Hebert</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Arizona]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Direct care consumers]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Featured News]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[training and education]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.directcarealliance.org/?p=4487</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[My wife and I own a non-medical home care agency that provides assistance with activities of daily living. Our clients are all private-pay, and our direct care workers are all caregivers or companions, not certified CNAs or home health aides. Those caregivers are our business. Young or old, they have to have a passion and [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://blog.directcarealliance.org/2011/12/home-care-agency-owner-finds-caregiver-training-invaluable/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
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		<title>Huffington Post Shines Light on FLSA Companionship Exemption</title>
		<link>http://blog.directcarealliance.org/2011/12/huffington-post-shines-light-on-flsa-companionship-exemption/</link>
		<comments>http://blog.directcarealliance.org/2011/12/huffington-post-shines-light-on-flsa-companionship-exemption/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 06 Dec 2011 16:24:02 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Direct Care Alliance</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Featured News]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Florida]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[legislation and regulation]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Minimum wage and overtime for home care workers]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[public policy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[wages and benefits]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.directcarealliance.org/?p=4452</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[&#8220;If you&#8217;re in this job for money, you&#8217;re in it for the wrong reason, but I&#8217;d like to see that change someday,” says a Florida home care worker in Healthcare Workers on Verge of Winning Equal Rights, Higher Pay. The December 1 Huffington Post article looks at the companionship exemption that denies home care workers [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://blog.directcarealliance.org/2011/12/huffington-post-shines-light-on-flsa-companionship-exemption/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
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		<title>Judge Temporarily Blocks 20% Pay Cut for Family Caregivers</title>
		<link>http://blog.directcarealliance.org/2011/12/judge-temporarily-blocks-20-pay-cut-for-family-caregivers/</link>
		<comments>http://blog.directcarealliance.org/2011/12/judge-temporarily-blocks-20-pay-cut-for-family-caregivers/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 06 Dec 2011 15:58:06 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Direct Care Alliance</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Advocacy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[DCW associations/coalitions]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Direct care consumers]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Featured News]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[legislation and regulation]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Minnesota]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[wages and benefits]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.directcarealliance.org/?p=4459</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[As home health agency owner Tim Plant explained in a September 20 DCA blog post, Minnesota’s new budget included a 20 percent pay cut for personal care assistants who provide care to a relative. The cut was to have gone into effect October 1, but a dedicated group of activists worked hard to convince lawmakers [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://blog.directcarealliance.org/2011/12/judge-temporarily-blocks-20-pay-cut-for-family-caregivers/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
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		<title>Improving Care Quality by Developing Direct Care Worker Leaders</title>
		<link>http://blog.directcarealliance.org/2011/11/improving-care-quality-by-developing-direct-care-worker-leaders/</link>
		<comments>http://blog.directcarealliance.org/2011/11/improving-care-quality-by-developing-direct-care-worker-leaders/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 29 Nov 2011 16:12:16 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Direct Care Alliance</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[as leaders]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[career advancement]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Featured News]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[New York]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[training and education]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Voices Institute]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[wages and benefits]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.directcarealliance.org/?p=4427</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Developing direct care workers’ leadership skills can be an effective way of improving job and care quality in long-term care, according to early feedback from a collaboration between the Direct Care Alliance and four New York City-area nursing homes. The program is part of a pilot being conducted by DCA, the Beth Abraham Family of [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://blog.directcarealliance.org/2011/11/improving-care-quality-by-developing-direct-care-worker-leaders/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>2</slash:comments>
		</item>
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		<title>Life Without Overtime: Averaging 60 to 80 Hours a Week</title>
		<link>http://blog.directcarealliance.org/2011/11/life-without-overtime-averaging-60-to-80-hours-a-week/</link>
		<comments>http://blog.directcarealliance.org/2011/11/life-without-overtime-averaging-60-to-80-hours-a-week/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 29 Nov 2011 15:32:32 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Direct Care Alliance</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Featured News]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Florida]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Minimum wage and overtime for home care workers]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[wages and benefits]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[workloads]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.directcarealliance.org/?p=4431</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[The home care worker whose story you are about to read chose to remain anonymous for fear of losing her job. In order for me to pull my weight, I average 120 to 160 hours every two weeks. My husband loads trucks 40 hours a week. It takes me almost twice as long to earn [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://blog.directcarealliance.org/2011/11/life-without-overtime-averaging-60-to-80-hours-a-week/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>1</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Life Without Overtime: I Wish I Could Take Weekends Off</title>
		<link>http://blog.directcarealliance.org/2011/11/life-without-overtime-i-wish-i-could-take-weekends-off/</link>
		<comments>http://blog.directcarealliance.org/2011/11/life-without-overtime-i-wish-i-could-take-weekends-off/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 08 Nov 2011 15:37:02 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Direct Care Alliance</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Advocacy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Minimum wage and overtime for home care workers]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Texas]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.directcarealliance.org/?p=4383</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[The home care worker whose story you are about to read chose to remain anonymous for fear of losing her job. I receive $7.75 per hour. We home care workers don’t get paid overtime in Texas, so I usually work 50 or 60 hours a week. Sometimes it’s less, but sometimes it’s more. Usually I [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://blog.directcarealliance.org/2011/11/life-without-overtime-i-wish-i-could-take-weekends-off/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>1</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Protecting the Social Safety Net</title>
		<link>http://blog.directcarealliance.org/2011/11/help-protect-the-social-safety-net/</link>
		<comments>http://blog.directcarealliance.org/2011/11/help-protect-the-social-safety-net/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 08 Nov 2011 15:32:32 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>David Ward</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Advocacy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Arizona]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Direct care consumers]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Featured News]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[legislation and regulation]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Maryland]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Massachusetts]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Michigan]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Montana]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Nevada]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Ohio]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[public policy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[wages and benefits]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Washington state]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.directcarealliance.org/?p=4387</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[UPDATE: Help us fight to preserve these crucial programs by emailing your elected representatives. Our action alert makes it easy to send them a letter. Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security are under attack. Over the past several months, these social safety programs have become the focus of a political battle over what our government needs [...]]]></description>
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		<slash:comments>1</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Life Without Overtime: Was I Living? Was I Really Taking Care of Anybody?</title>
		<link>http://blog.directcarealliance.org/2011/11/life-without-overtime-was-i-living-was-i-really-taking-care-of-anybody/</link>
		<comments>http://blog.directcarealliance.org/2011/11/life-without-overtime-was-i-living-was-i-really-taking-care-of-anybody/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 01 Nov 2011 20:45:37 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Direct Care Alliance</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Featured News]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Florida]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Minimum wage and overtime for home care workers]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[wages and benefits]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[workloads]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.directcarealliance.org/?p=4370</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[The home care worker whose story you are about to read chose to remain anonymous for fear of losing her job. Here in Florida, when you work for an agency you don’t get time and a half for overtime. Most of the agencies will give you all the time in the world—and you have to [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://blog.directcarealliance.org/2011/11/life-without-overtime-was-i-living-was-i-really-taking-care-of-anybody/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>7</slash:comments>
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