Archive for ‘Wisconsin’

Real Wages Keep Falling for Personal and Home Care Aides

Posted by on September 9th, 2009 at 11:17 am | 1 Comment »

state chartbook coverAs every direct care worker advocate knows, personal and home care aides earn far too little for the important work they do. And now an updated version of PHI’s State Chart Book on Wages for Personal and Home Care Aides (PDF) gives advocates a valuable tool, proving that real wages are actually getting worse.

The chart book analyzes data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, adjusting last year’s wages for inflation to see how their earning power compares to average wages in 1999.

Nationwide, these inflation-adjusted rates, which the chartbook calls “real wages,” have decreased by 3 percent over the past nine years, dropping from $7.50 an hour to just $7.31. Real wages increased in more than half the states during that period, but not enough to make up for their decline in the other 21.

Median wages in 2008 ranged from $7.05 an hour in Texas to $12.55 in Alaska in 2008, or real wages of $5.61 to $9.90. “Wages for personal and home care aides are so low,” says PHI Director of Policy Research Dorie Seavey, “that about 20 percent of these workers received a raise on July 24 when the minimum wage increased to $7.25/hour.”

The chartbook also compares wages to federal poverty level wages for a one-person household.

Elise Nakhnikian
Communications Director
Direct Care Alliance

Introducing Voices Institute Trainer and DCW Brenda Nachtway

Posted by on September 8th, 2009 at 11:06 am | No Comments »
Brenda (L) with Jackie Merkel at the 2008 Voices Institute National Leadership Program

Brenda (L) with Jackie Merkel at the 2008 Voices Institute National Leadership Program

 In a few short weeks, the direct care worker movement will grow stronger and more unified when direct care workers come together in Racine, Wisconsin for the Voices Institute‘s second National Leadership Program (NLP).

The workers in this year’s class will share their stories and learn from one another. They will also learn from a training team that includes graduates of last year’s Voices Institute NLP. I’d like to introduce you to one of them, my treasured colleague Brenda Nachtway.

Brenda will be one of the first people that the class members will meet. She will welcome the class as they arrive on Sunday evening and get settled in and coordinate an evening program where the class will get personally acquainted, after long-distance exchanges on web seminars and orientation and community-building conference calls. Since she is one of the most joyful, humorous, and warm people you will ever meet, it is safe to say that the class will find a week-long home away from home in Brenda’s company. Continue reading »

WI Coalition to Senator: Include DCWs, People With Disabilities in Health Care Reform

Posted by on July 27th, 2009 at 3:55 pm | No Comments »
Terry Lynch

Terry Lynch

In a July 17 letter, (PDF) a broad-based Wisconsin disability rights coalition asked U. S. Senator Russ Feingold (D-WI) to address issues important to people with disabilities in health care reform – including the lack of sufficient health care coverage for direct care workers.

In its letter, The Survival Coalition of Wisconsin Disability Organizations noted that about a quarter of the state’s direct care workers do not have health insurance. “Of the ones who do have coverage,” the group adds, “the employer premium cost-share, co-pays and deductibles are often prohibitive (in light of the average wages of direct service workers of $10.85 per hour.)”

The letter also notes that many disability provider organizations have received minimal or no reimbursement rate increases for the last six years, resulting in “a) an inability to provide wage increases, b) dramatic increases in employee cost-shares, c) many agencies eliminating the health care benefit, and d) some agencies on the verge of bankruptcy.”

The group asked the senator to pursue seven objectives in developing a final health care reform package, including “Ensure that the concept of ‘affordability’ is applied realistically to people with disabilities, families and direct service workers who have very low incomes.”

I will report on any actions taken by Senator Feingold or other members of the Wisconsin delegation.

Related Documents
The DCA’s Direct Care Worker Principles for Health Care Reform (PDF)

Terry Lynch
Board Member
Direct Care Alliance

DCA Publishes Fact Sheets for Direct Care Worker Advocates and their Allies

Posted by on June 25th, 2009 at 10:56 am | No Comments »

A full set of DCA Direct Care Fact Sheets, one for each of the 50 states and the District of Columbia, is now available in the Resources section of our website.

The one-page sheets were created as a resource for direct care worker advocates and their allies, legislators, policymakers, members of the media, and others interested in direct care issues. They include key facts such as:

  •   The number of home health aides, nursing assistants, and personal and home care aides in the state in 2006 and the projected numbers of each in 2016
  •   The average hourly wage for the state’s direct care workers
  •   What percentage of direct care workers in that state or region are without health insurance

Elise Nakhnikian
Communications Director
Direct Care Alliance

Direct Support Professional Takes Top Job at Voices Institute

Posted by on June 5th, 2009 at 2:16 pm | 10 Comments »
If you want something done, they say, give it to someone who’s already busy. And if you want someone to run a leadership program for direct care workers, who better than a busy direct care worker?

The Direct Care Alliance got the right person for the job this week when direct support professional Bridget Siljander moved into the newly created position of Coordinator of the Voices Institute.

A graduate of the Voices Institute National Leadership Program’s first class, Bridget has provided care and supports to elders and people with disabilities for the past 12 years. She has worked in hospitals, group homes, and nursing homes, but most of her work has been in home care. For the past nine years, she was the primary aide for one home care client.

In addition, she chairs the Direct Support Professional Association of Minnesota and writes curriculum for the National College of Direct Support. She is also a member of the National Alliance for Direct Support Professionals board of directors’ Advocacy and Legislation Committee. On top of that, she is a member of the Alliance for Full Participation – and, until she moved into her new position, she worked half-time as a direct care worker specialist for the DCA.

“Bridget’s proven leadership abilities, professionalism, commitment to excellence and personal knowledge of the direct care workforce made her an ideal choice to lead our signature program,” says DCA Executive Director Leonila Vega. “Her addition to the DCA staff marks a historic expansion and validation of our nationwide leadership development initiative. With her leadership, we will achieve our goal of expanding our state and regional Voices Institute leadership programs.”

Continue reading »

Direct Care Workers Organize Statewide Conference in Wisconsin

Posted by on May 1st, 2009 at 10:34 am | 1 Comment »
Tracy Dudzinski

Tracy Dudzinski

It is amazing how committed and resourceful direct care workers are when they put their mind to something.

As many of you know, I sit on the board of directors of The Wisconsin Direct Caregiver Alliance (WIDCA), which just held its first conference for direct care workers. The conference was a great success – our evaluation forms are full of comments like “I loved it all. I can’t wait until the next one” and “What a wonderful event. It is nice to be recognized for what I do.” And we direct care workers did it all.

It took several years and three committees for us to pull this conference together. The first two committees were made up of mostly professional people. They fizzled out, but we direct care workers on the board were committed to making the conference happen.

At the Voices Institute National Leadership Program last May, WIDCA Chair Jackie Merkel and I (I’m WIDCA’s vice chair) recruited two fellow direct care workers — Mary Ann Aker and Wendy Janus – to co-chair the planning committee. We chose Mary Ann because we work with her and know she is a get-it-done kind of person. We asked Wendy because she has a contagious energy. She was also highly recommended by Barb Wisnefski, the chair of the Wisconsin Long Term Care Workforce Alliance.

We were all determined to put on the conference, but we really had no idea how to proceed. We kept spinning our wheels and stalling out — until the DCA offered to have Bridget Siljander, one of their Direct Care Worker Specialists, help us organize the planning.

Bridget’s help was the kick start we needed to get going. She helped us make a plan and stay on track. I never realized before all the work that goes onto planning an event of this size. Let me tell you, I know now!

Continue reading »

An Inside Look at the Voices Institute National Training

Posted by on April 14th, 2009 at 9:45 am | 1 Comment »
We're working on personal empowerment. That's me standing in the background.

We're working on personal empowerment. That's me standing in the background.

Hello, fellow direct care workers.

Helping to plan the DCA’s Voices Institute National Leadership Training this year is making me think about last year’s training. I want to tell you what that was like, in case you’re thinking of joining us this year.

Last year’s training was at the Dekoven Center in Racine, Wisconsin – the same place where it will be this year. The Dekoven Center is on a 20-acre, wooded campus on the shore of Lake Michigan between Milwaukee and Chicago. It’s a beautiful place, but there wasn’t much time to enjoy the scenery. A few of us took walks every morning at 6, and we had a few classes outside, but that was about it.

They said it would be a retreat. When I think of a retreat, I think of relaxation and kicking back. Boy, was I wrong about this one! We started classes every day at 9 and finished at 5 or later. Some nights, we didn’t get done till 7. It was really worthwhile – it’s a good training – but it was intense. You’re there to learn.

Continue reading »

Help Us Change the World: Apply to the DCA’s Voices Institute

Posted by on March 31st, 2009 at 12:31 pm | 1 Comment »
Bridget (third from R) and colleagues at the 2008 Voices Institute training

Bridget (third from R) and colleagues at the 2008 Voices Institute training

Download the invitation letter and an application form you can mail or fax (PDF)

Apply online

“I would recommmend this training to anyone who wants to become a leader,” says Tracy Dudzinski, one of the empowered graduates of the 2008 Voices Institute National Leadership Institute.

The Voices Institute is now recruiting direct care workers to become the next class of leaders in a grassroots movement to strengthen and celebrate the workforce that provides vital services to Americans who need chronic care.

I know very well how important we are: I have been a direct care worker for well over a decade. For most of that time, I lacked a sense of having a connection with other direct care workers and felt powerless over my professional situation.

Then I attended the 2008 Voices Institute and found a network of new friends and colleagues. Being united with others who have a background similar to mine, and feeling a kinship and a bond with people who mirrored me, was one of the most inspirational times in my life.

Continue reading »

The Mouse that Roared: A Direct Care Worker’s Journey to Advocacy

Posted by on March 26th, 2009 at 5:06 pm | 3 Comments »
Tracy Dudzinski

Tracy Dudzinski

I never thought something so simple could mean so much.

Last time I wrote a blog, I was flying high from giving my personal testimonial at the Health Care Reform Symposium in Washington D.C. Now I have another reason to write.

The Saturday after I got back from D.C., I went shopping with my kids. We went into a store that I had been in before and I saw a ring I’d seen there. The ring was engraved with the saying: “Believe in yourself and magic will happen.”

I wanted to buy the ring the first time I saw it, but I guess I didn’t believe in myself enough at the time. Well, the second time I saw the ring, I bought it.

Continue reading »

Holy Cow – I Did It! Testifying at a D.C. Symposium

Posted by on March 13th, 2009 at 3:11 pm | 6 Comments »

Watch part one (above) to hear the first part of Tracy’s testimony, and part two to hear about the changes she would like to see.

What do you do when you get a call from the executive director of the DCA asking you to go to Washington, D.C. to tell the people at an Institute of Medicine symposium what it’s like to be a direct care worker?

You panic for a second. You think: “Why me? What would I say?”

Then you take a deep breath to calm your nerves and think: “Why not me? I am the expert in direct care, and people need to hear the voice of the worker if we are ever going to change things.”

I told Leonila I would be happy to speak to the group. Then I panicked again and waited for a call from Elise, the DCA’s communications director. After our conversation, I felt much better. I went home that evening and wrote out my testimony. (PDF) I worked with Elise and she helped me make it as powerful as I could.

Then we had a call with the people from the Institute of Medicine and I found out that I had to cut parts of my testimony, since it was 20 minutes long and it needed to be closer to 10. (And here I’d thought I wouldn’t have enough to say.)

Continue reading »

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