This is a guest post from Terry Bucher, Founder & President Emeritus of the Florida Professional Association of Care Givers.
Two weeks ago, I was privileged to be a part of the Eldercare Workforce Alliance Hill Day in Washington, DC. I had the chance to speak out on behalf of eldercare issues, especially as they pertain to the direct care workforce. My participation this year was a direct result of having accepted an invitation from the Direct Care Alliance, one of the 28 national associations that make up the Eldercare Workforce Alliance.
In preparation for the trip, I familiarized myself with EWA & DCA’s current legislative agenda and drafted comments to share in my visits to the legislative offices. EWA arranged appointments with Florida’s congressional agenda in the House and Senate and partnered participants from individual states to meet with our legislators or their assistants. The wisdom of this approach proved very effective and fruitful as all levels of the eldercare workforce teamed together to present a unified front on geriatric health care. Together, we expressed the immediate importance of the needs of the elderly – the fastest growing segment of our population.
Our Florida team included Dr. Hugh Thomas, President of the Florida Medical Directors Association; Patricia Wallace, ARNP, V.P. of the FL Chapter of the Gerontological Advanced Practice Nurse Association; Dr. Lisa Brown, Associate Professor; Dr. Katheryn Hyer, Director of FL Policy Exchange Center On Aging; and me, founder of the Florida Professional Association of Care Givers (FPACG).
(L to R): Lisa Brown, Terry Bucher, Charles Cooper, Hugh Thomas, Denise Gammonley, Kathryn Hyer, and Patricia Wallace
We had less than an hour to prepare as a team for our legislative visits, but our presentations to each office reflected the passion and dedication of each team member to their various disciplines pertaining to eldercare. The Senate was in session and the House was not meeting until the following day, thus our appointments were with staff members in each office. Each member of the team volunteered to be the opening lead for a session. I was first-up for our 9am appointment as we visited the offices of Congressman Adam Putnam, my representative in the 12th District of Florida. Continue reading »
A full set of 
