The Direct Care News     transparent logo, white type
For direct care workers and their allies
 
December 4, 2012

NPR Reports on Why We Need Immigrant Direct Care Workers       

Elizabeth Castillo
Elizabeth Castillo
"I'm a social worker, a psychologist," said home care worker and Voices Institute graduate Elizabeth Castillo in an NPR report last week. "I wear so many hats on this job. I wish we were valued because we provide much more than companionship."


Elizabeth was interviewed for a story about the importance of immigrants to the direct care workforce, which aired on NPR's All Things Considered on November 30. Listen to or read the report.
Direct from Washington, DC
Capitol HIllThe President proposes new rules to implement ACA provisions: On November 20, President Obama issued several proposed rules to implement key provisions of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), which makes quality health insurance affordable and accessible to millions of Americans and hundreds of thousands of direct care workers. One rule would prohibit health insurance companies from denying coverage or charging higher premiums based on a pre-existing or chronic condition or other factors, including gender and occupation. Premiums could vary only within set limits and based only on factors such as age, tobacco use, and family size. Read more.
Voices Institute Training Empowers, Inspires Arizona Workers
Arizona Voices Institute attendees and trainers with State Senator Paula Aboud (front row, second from right).
"I want to be with the person I assist, doing home care, helping them lead the life they want to live, and I want to be respected for doing that," said home care worker Pamela O'Neal at the Arizona Voices Institute 2012.

Pamela was one of the direct care workers who honed their leadership and advocacy skills on November 14-16 at the event, a state-level version of DCA's intensive, interactive national training program. Read more.
Seeking Racial Justice for Direct Care Workers
Jessica Brill Ortiz
Last month, I had a rare and refreshing opportunity to talk to presenters and attendees about the intersection of direct care work, immigration, and the U.S. economy from a racial justice perspective.

The occasion was a session I co-hosted at the Facing Race Conference in Baltimore, along with Executive Director Sarita Gupta of Jobs with Justice and Trishala Deb, Director of Strategic Partnerships for Caring Across Generations (CAG). We were there to talk about the national CAG campaign, of which DCA is a Leadership Team member.

Read more from DCA's Jessica Brill Ortiz.

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Direct from the Headlines
The New Mexico Direct Caregiver Alliance cohosted a press conference about a report on poor wages and benefits for home care aides and other domestic workers. 

Home health aides in New York and Pennsylvania refused to let Hurricane Sandy get between them and their clients.

January 7 is the closing date for applications for a National Center for Health Workforce Analysis grant to fund research on the health care workforce.

"Our society says all the right things, but fails miserably to put those words into action. This is wrong. Socially wrong. Morally wrong. Economically wrong." So say the Iowa CareGivers Association's Di Findley and John Hale in an eloquent Des Moines Register op-ed about the need to pay direct care workers a living wage. On Des Moines' WHO-TV 13 the same week, Findley explained the link between poor CNA staffing and poor care in nursing homes.
The Direct Care Alliance is the national advocacy voice of direct care workers in long-term care. We empower workers to speak out for better wages, benefits, respect, and working conditions, so more people can commit to direct care as a career. We also convene powerful allies nationwide to build consensus for change. 

If you have comments on this issue of The Direct Care News or ideas for future issues, please contact Elise Nakhnikian at 646-823-7434, [email protected].