Honor Dr. King's Vision by Giving Home Care Workers Our Due
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. once said: "all mankind is tied together; all life is interrelated, and we are all caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly." His words were never truer than in the case of home care workers like us, who provide hands-on care, services and support to millions of Americans.
For one thing, there's a clear link between the quality of our jobs and the quality of care we can provide. We see a lot of people come and go in our profession, and we know how hard that is on their clients, who have to keep getting used to new caregivers. But we also know how hard it can be to commit to this profession, even when you love it, if the pay is so poor it's hard to provide for your own family. Read more from home care workers LaDonna Williams and Lucille Daniels.
Direct from Washington, D.C.
President Obama inaugurated a second time on MLK Day: On Sunday, January 20, 2013, Barack Obama was officially sworn into a second term as President of the United States at a private event at the White House, and Joseph Biden was officially sworn into a second term as Vice President, at an event in the Naval Observatory. The ceremonial inauguration of our first black President's second term took place yesterday at the Capitol, giving a special resonance to Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. Read or watch the President's inaugural speech.
This Little Light of Mine
David Moreau
My friend Toby loves to sing This Old Man. Over and over arms waving down the hallway and into the cafeteria and back again twice, it's NACK NACK ADDYWHACK LEAVE A DOG ALONE.... the words loud and not quite right.
Will employers cut workers' hours in response to ObamaCare? Register for a January 24 audio conference about this concern.
The PAS Center is hosting a free webinar on PCA training requirements at 2 p.m. Eastern time today. Presenters Dorie Seavey and Abby Marquand of PHI will present findings from a 50-state study. Click on this link a few minutes ahead of time to allow time to download the necessary software or listen in by calling 1-800-625-5918, passcode 7023043.
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, enakhnikian@directcarealliance.org.
President Obama inaugurated a second time on MLK Day: On Sunday, January 20, 2013, Barack Obama was officially sworn into a second term as President of the United States at a private event at the White House, and Joseph Biden was officially sworn into a second term as Vice President, at an event in the Naval Observatory. The ceremonial inauguration of our first black President's second term took place yesterday at the Capitol, giving a special resonance to Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. Read or watch 
