Archive for ‘States’

Experiencing CNA Work as Another Form of Customer Service

Posted by on October 28th, 2011 at 9:51 pm | 3 Comments »

When she lost her job at a call center, Sharon Baumgartner discovered CNA work—and found that her customer service experience came in very handy.

Sharon Baumgartner

I work as a CNA (Patient Care Technician II) in the ICU department of Florida Hospital/Waterman in Tavares, Florida. The joy of my work—and what keeps me motivated—is seeing very, very ill patients get better day-by-day. That just never ceases to amaze me to this day. What a great physician we have!

Eventually, those who improve are transferred to other progressive departments in the hospital. After all, healing the ill is our purpose. Unfortunately, of course, there are also patients who do not improve. With all life comes death: I know that. But as strong as I think I am, I can’t deny that losing a patient is heart-wrenching. All I can do when someone passes away is be there with the family and staff in any way I can.

Before I started my career in direct care, I spent many years in the legal field and working with people in various situations and on many levels, but most recently I had worked as a customer service representative in two call centers, the last being an inbound-call center contracted by Sprint where I live in Eustis, Florida. All the jobs I’ve had since I was 16 taught me something about how to deal with people, from my very first job at 7-Eleven to the wonderful life training I got while working at Publix for five years toe being the Town Clerk/Supervisor of Elections for Windermere. And all that experience turned out to be very useful when I switched to this field.  Continue reading »

Conference Inspires and Informs Florida Caregivers

Posted by on October 25th, 2011 at 3:01 am | 1 Comment »
FPACG 2011 conference attendees

Conference attendees with door prizes

The 16th annual Florida Professional Association of Care Givers (FPACG) conference, which was co-sponsored this year by DCA, was inspirational from the start. After a welcome and invocation by CNA/HHA Rita Andrews and CNA/HHA Nancy Strebel, the Air Force junior ROTC from Lake Brantley High School presented the colors. What a thing that was to witness! Next on the agenda was the presentation of awards by FPACG President Emeritus and Director of Education Terry Bucher to FPACG’s Career Care Giver of the Year and its two Care Givers of the Year. This was the first time in the history of the association that the award was given to two people in one year. Continue reading »

Working for Less than Minimum Wage

Posted by on October 18th, 2011 at 9:02 am | 6 Comments »

Clara Glenn

I’ve been doing home care work for 30-some years, and I love it. I tell everybody I wouldn’t trade it for the world. You have to have a heart to do this work. You can’t just do it for no reason. You have to be dedicated. I always put God first in my life, and that carries me through.

About 15 years ago, I worked for a home care agency that paid less than minimum wage. The minimum was $5.15 at the time, and we were making $4.90. I think that was a reason a lot of the girls left. We stayed as long as we could and then we went on to other places.

I stayed because of the clients. I liked them and they liked me. We made our own little family, and that meant more to me than the money. As long as they were getting good care, that was really what mattered to me. Even now, some of their grandchildren send me Christmas cards and birthday cards and when they get married they call me up. They were like family, and I knew they needed help. Continue reading »

Why We Stopped Offering Health Insurance to Our Home Care Workers

Posted by on October 18th, 2011 at 9:00 am | 2 Comments »

Tracy Dudzinski

Some things just don’t make sense.

As many of you know, I am an employee-owner of a supportive home care agency in Wisconsin that is a worker-owned cooperative. I chair the board of directors, which recently had to make a very difficult decision: We had to stop offering health insurance coverage to our employees.

I was on the insurance so I had to excuse myself from the board’s discussions, but from what I heard afterward, it was a difficult decision for the board to make. One of the reasons the cooperative was founded was to offer health insurance to its members. It was hard for the board members to let go of that goal, but we just couldn’t afford not to.

The cheapest plan we could find was too expensive—for us and for our employees.  Continue reading »

Stumping for the Direct Care Job Quality Improvement Act

Posted by on October 11th, 2011 at 9:29 am | 1 Comment »

Joan Leah

When I returned home after attending this year’s Voices Institute, I made a commitment to myself. I committed to not waste the investment made in me by DCA; the confidence placed in me by my association, the Florida Professional Association of Care Givers, when they recommended me for the training; or the commitment I made to my peers during my time at the VI. I vowed to advocate for the changes our long-term care system so desperately needs, starting with the Direct Care Job Quality Improvement Act.

I hope hearing about my journey to carry that message to the Hill will inspire you, and perhaps arm you with tips you can use to make your own journey. The main one is: DON’T GIVE UP! Getting through to your legislators takes work and persistence, but you can find many helpful tools on the DCA website, and DCA staff and Voices Institute alumni are here to help too.  Continue reading »

Wisconsin Honors Exceptional Direct Care Workers and Employers

Posted by on October 4th, 2011 at 8:23 am | 1 Comment »

Tracy Dudzinski

Every year here in Wisconsin we honor four direct care workers, one supervisor of direct care workers, and one administrator in long term care. I was honored to present the awards last week to my fellow direct care workers.

I got to visit with most of the winners before the presentation, which was at a luncheon at the Wisconsin Personal Services Association conference. Vivian Havens has been a direct care worker for 45 years, 25 of which have been for her current employer. She is 80 years old. I call that dedication. Continue reading »

Talking to Senator Collins about the Companionship Exemption

Posted by on September 20th, 2011 at 12:37 am | 3 Comments »

A simple phone call can help educate your senator about the needs of direct care workers—and he or she may be more receptive than you might expect, as this report from Voices Institute graduate Ted Rippy demonstrates.

Senator Susan Collins of Maine

Senator Collins

Late last month, I had the opportunity to talk to Maine’s Senator Susan M. Collins about the Direct Care Job Quality Improvement Act. The conversation was very relaxed and took place over the phone. She was a very gracious lady, so talking to her just felt like talking to another human being.

Senator Collins asked why minimum wage and overtime protections weren’t already in place for home care workers. I explained that in 1974 the Fair Labor Standards Act companionship exemption was removed from domestic workers like chauffeurs, butlers, cooks, gardeners, maids, and nannies, but not from home care workers because, back then, home care was a simple thing, more like asking a neighbor to check in on Mom or Dad than the skilled profession it is today. Senator Collins responded by saying that home care aides have become more professional over the years. Continue reading »

Minnesota Personal Care Assistants Face 20% Pay Cut

Posted by on September 20th, 2011 at 12:36 am | 6 Comments »

Tim Plant

We Minnesotans used to be full of pride for our prudent government and our tradition of fairness and equality for all citizens. Minnesota is the home state of “Happy Warrior” Hubert Humphrey, a former vice president of the United States and a lifelong champion of civil rights.  But our proud state is becoming a national embarrassment, and some of our personal care assistants are about to pay a heavy price for our political dysfunction.

Most of you have probably heard about our failure to pass a state budget by the due date of June 30, which led to a state government shutdown for several weeks earlier this summer. When Governor Mark Dayton reconvened the legislature for a special session, it was conducted behind closed doors. The secretly approved budget that finally emerged includes dramatically fewer resources to help our most vulnerable citizens because the “no tax increase for millionaires’’ philosophy ruled the day. Continue reading »

PA Caregivers Invited to Free Training, Board Meet

Posted by on September 16th, 2011 at 3:00 pm | 1 Comment »

PA Direct Care Worker Association logoThe Pennsylvania Direct Care Workers Association invites all interested direct care workers in Pennsylvania to two free training sessions and a PaDCWA board meeting, to be held at Arden Courts in Allentown on October 27.

The first training will be on the subject of caregiver burnout. It will be conducted during a working lunch (provided at no charge) between 12 and 1 p.m. After the board meeting, which will take place from 1 to 3, a second training will be held on responding to difficult behaviors caused by Alzheimer’s disease and related conditions. Human Resources Director Amanda Scholl of Home Instead Senior Care will conduct both sessions.

Certificates will be awarded on completion of training.

Download flyer for more information.

PA Home Care Workers Address Sympathetic Politician

Posted by on September 12th, 2011 at 8:50 pm | 3 Comments »

Rep. Murphy and Janis Durick

Home care workers had the full attention of Representative Tim Murphy on September 2, at a meeting hosted by DCA and From the Heart Companion Services in Greensburg, Pennsylvania.

“I was very pleased that Representative Murphy came and listened to us. I really was,” says From the Heart owner Janis Durick. “He already had an attentive ear and was willing to help us with some of the things that we needed, but I figure the comments from all the direct care workers made him that much more open to what we do. Each one is different, and their clients are different.” Continue reading »

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