<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<rss version="2.0"
	xmlns:content="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/"
	xmlns:wfw="http://wellformedweb.org/CommentAPI/"
	xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/"
	xmlns:atom="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom"
	xmlns:sy="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/syndication/"
	xmlns:slash="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/"
	>

<channel>
	<title>News and Opinions « Direct Care Alliance</title>
	<atom:link href="http://blog.directcarealliance.org/feed/" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml" />
	<link>http://blog.directcarealliance.org</link>
	<description>What direct care worker advocates are thinking, saying and doing</description>
	<lastBuildDate>Tue, 15 May 2012 14:25:07 +0000</lastBuildDate>
	<language>en</language>
	<sy:updatePeriod>hourly</sy:updatePeriod>
	<sy:updateFrequency>1</sy:updateFrequency>
	<generator>http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1</generator>
		<item>
		<title>Study Finds Link Between Low Staffing, Nursing Home Deaths</title>
		<link>http://blog.directcarealliance.org/2012/05/study-finds-link-between-low-staffing-nursing-home-deaths/</link>
		<comments>http://blog.directcarealliance.org/2012/05/study-finds-link-between-low-staffing-nursing-home-deaths/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 15 May 2012 14:25:07 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Direct Care Alliance</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Direct care consumers]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Featured News]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[turnover]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[workloads]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.directcarealliance.org/?p=5069</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Plenty of studies have shown that care quality in nursing homes suffers when nursing assistants “work short,” but a new analysis of Medicare and other data reaches a startling conclusion: Nursing assistant staffing levels may literally be a matter of life and death for nursing home residents. A group of researchers from the University of [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://blog.directcarealliance.org/2012/05/study-finds-link-between-low-staffing-nursing-home-deaths/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>My Friend Kevin</title>
		<link>http://blog.directcarealliance.org/2012/05/my-friend-kevin/</link>
		<comments>http://blog.directcarealliance.org/2012/05/my-friend-kevin/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 15 May 2012 14:23:25 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Tina Tilley</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Direct care consumers]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Michigan]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[skills and attributes]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[training and education]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.directcarealliance.org/?p=5012</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[I would like to tell you about my friend Kevin. Kevin was born in the late 1950s with a condition we now refer to as autism. Since autism wasn’t widely known until decades later, Kevin was more than likely simply labeled as “retarded.” He came from a fairly large family and went to school until [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://blog.directcarealliance.org/2012/05/my-friend-kevin/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>1</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Home Care Cooperatives Spotlighted at White House Briefing</title>
		<link>http://blog.directcarealliance.org/2012/05/home-care-co-ops-spotlighted-at-white-house-briefing/</link>
		<comments>http://blog.directcarealliance.org/2012/05/home-care-co-ops-spotlighted-at-white-house-briefing/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 08 May 2012 00:46:15 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Direct Care Alliance</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[as leaders]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[career advancement]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[events]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Featured News]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[job creation]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[public policy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Washington, D.C.]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Wisconsin]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.directcarealliance.org/?p=5049</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Direct Care Alliance Board Chair Tracy Dudzinski was at the White House last Friday for a briefing on cooperatives. DCA: Who was there and what did you talk about? TRACY: The National Cooperative Business Association invited leaders from 150 cooperatives across the nation to talk to the White House staff about what co-ops can do [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://blog.directcarealliance.org/2012/05/home-care-co-ops-spotlighted-at-white-house-briefing/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>1</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Tracing the Link Between Low Reimbursement and High Turnover</title>
		<link>http://blog.directcarealliance.org/2012/05/tracing-the-link-between-low-reimbursement-and-high-turnover/</link>
		<comments>http://blog.directcarealliance.org/2012/05/tracing-the-link-between-low-reimbursement-and-high-turnover/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 08 May 2012 00:43:23 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Direct Care Alliance</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Featured News]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[turnover]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[wages and benefits]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.directcarealliance.org/?p=5042</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[A recent article in a leading publication for nonprofits detailed the challenges faced by long-term care employers who can’t afford to pay direct care workers a living wage&#8211;and who often deal with uncomfortably high turnover as a result. In the April 29 issue of The Chronicle of Philanthropy, Nicole Wallace explained how low government reimbursement [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://blog.directcarealliance.org/2012/05/tracing-the-link-between-low-reimbursement-and-high-turnover/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>1</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Minnesota Direct Care Workers Launch DCA Chapter</title>
		<link>http://blog.directcarealliance.org/2012/04/minnesota-direct-care-workers-launch-dca-chapter/</link>
		<comments>http://blog.directcarealliance.org/2012/04/minnesota-direct-care-workers-launch-dca-chapter/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 01 May 2012 02:59:25 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Direct Care Alliance</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Advocacy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[as leaders]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[DCA initiatives]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[DCW associations/coalitions]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Featured News]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Minnesota]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[respect]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[wages and benefits]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.directcarealliance.org/?p=5001</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Anne Keithahn, a direct support professional (DSP) in Fairmont, Minnesota, and her friend and fellow DSP Amy Derrera are launching the Southern Minnesota Direct Care Alliance, a state chapter of the Direct Care Alliance, next month. We asked them to explain what they’re doing and why. How did this idea get started? Anne: After talking [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://blog.directcarealliance.org/2012/04/minnesota-direct-care-workers-launch-dca-chapter/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>1</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Florida Op-Ed Explains Need for Proposed Home Care Rule</title>
		<link>http://blog.directcarealliance.org/2012/04/florida-op-ed-explains-need-for-proposed-home-care-rule/</link>
		<comments>http://blog.directcarealliance.org/2012/04/florida-op-ed-explains-need-for-proposed-home-care-rule/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 01 May 2012 02:47:12 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Direct Care Alliance</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[DCW associations/coalitions]]></category>
		<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[wages and benefits]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.directcarealliance.org/?p=5032</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[In an op-ed in the Orlando Sentinel, Florida Professional Association of Care Givers President Emeritus Terry Bucher explains why the proposed rule to grant minimum wage and overtime protections to home care workers must be finalized. Noting that Florida is not one of the 21 states that provide their own minimum wage and/or overtime protections for these [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://blog.directcarealliance.org/2012/04/florida-op-ed-explains-need-for-proposed-home-care-rule/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Iowa CareGivers Association Faces Drastic Potential Cuts</title>
		<link>http://blog.directcarealliance.org/2012/04/iowa-caregivers-association-faces-drastic-potential-cuts/</link>
		<comments>http://blog.directcarealliance.org/2012/04/iowa-caregivers-association-faces-drastic-potential-cuts/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 01 May 2012 02:25:36 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Direct Care Alliance</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Advocacy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[as leaders]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[DCW associations/coalitions]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[events]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Iowa]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[respect]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[skills and attributes]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.directcarealliance.org/?p=5021</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[The Direct Care Alliance is posting the following information from and at the request of the Iowa CareGivers Association (ICA). The budget being finalized now in Iowa may cut several crucial direct care worker programs, including several vital to the work of the ICA. The association is asking people who care about direct care work [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://blog.directcarealliance.org/2012/04/iowa-caregivers-association-faces-drastic-potential-cuts/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>House Budget Raises Red Flags for Direct Care Workers</title>
		<link>http://blog.directcarealliance.org/2012/04/house-budget-raises-red-flags-for-direct-care-workers/</link>
		<comments>http://blog.directcarealliance.org/2012/04/house-budget-raises-red-flags-for-direct-care-workers/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 24 Apr 2012 02:15:30 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Judith Solomon</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Direct care consumers]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Featured News]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[job creation]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[legislation and regulation]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[wages and benefits]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.directcarealliance.org/?p=4970</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Here in Washington, Congress is planning how the government will spend its money next year and for many years to come. The plan that the House of Representatives just passed includes many cuts that would be extremely troubling for direct care workers. Adopted on March 29, the House’s Ryan budget (named after Congressman Paul Ryan, [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://blog.directcarealliance.org/2012/04/house-budget-raises-red-flags-for-direct-care-workers/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Send Us Your Stories</title>
		<link>http://blog.directcarealliance.org/2012/04/send-us-your-stories/</link>
		<comments>http://blog.directcarealliance.org/2012/04/send-us-your-stories/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 24 Apr 2012 02:09:50 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Direct Care Alliance</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Advocacy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[DCA initiatives]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[respect]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.directcarealliance.org/?p=4973</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Part of our work to improve direct care jobs and help direct care workers gain the respect they deserve involves making this crucial work visible, and we do this partly by sharing the stories of the special people who do it. We do this because we believe there is no better advocate for this workforce [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://blog.directcarealliance.org/2012/04/send-us-your-stories/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>DCA Expands Its DC Presence</title>
		<link>http://blog.directcarealliance.org/2012/04/dca-expands-dc-presence/</link>
		<comments>http://blog.directcarealliance.org/2012/04/dca-expands-dc-presence/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 24 Apr 2012 01:56:19 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Direct Care Alliance</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[DCA initiatives]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Featured News]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Washington, D.C.]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.directcarealliance.org/?p=4968</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[The Direct Care Alliance expands its advocacy staff today with the addition of National Advocacy Coordinator Jessica Brill Ortiz. Brill Ortiz, who comes to DCA from the National Consumer Voice for Quality Long-Term Care (the Consumer Voice), is a committed advocate for long-term care reform. “I know Jessica shares our passion for improving direct care [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://blog.directcarealliance.org/2012/04/dca-expands-dc-presence/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>5</slash:comments>
		</item>
	</channel>
</rss>

