Gabriele Swe and client

I have been a direct care worker for about 10 years. I truly believe we make a difference in the lives of elders and the sick. I love my work and I get paid well for it, but I don't get paid sick time or paid holidays.

Sometimes my husband wishes I would spend more time at home, or take off enough time to go on vacation with him. It can be hard for us even to get just a weekend off together, because I want to be there whenever my clients need me, no matter how long the hours are.

It can be very difficult for those of us who love being caregivers to leave our clients when we're sick or when our husbands or children need us. I don't think our employers should make that choice even harder by not providing paid time off. Read more from home care worker Gabriele Swe.

Senator Harkin to retire next year: Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA) has announced he will not seek re-election in 2014. The Chairman of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP), Senator Harkin will have served a total of 40 years in the U.S. House and Senate, including five Senate terms, when he retires. He has championed numerous issues affecting the direct care workforce, including access to affordable healthcare and minimum wage and overtime protections for home care workers.

Health care reform making Medicaid enrollment easier: One of the ways in which healthcare reform is increasing access to health care is by making it easier to apply for Medicaid, the joint federal and state program that provides low-income individuals and families with access to affordable health care. The new law requires all states to offer online Medicaid enrollment by 2014. States are increasing their ability to assist prospective Medicaid enrollees through initiatives such as community-based assistance and toll-free phone assistance.

As DCA's Jessica Brill Ortiz explained in a recent issue of this newsletter, the "fiscal cliff" deal signed by President Obama earlier this month contained both good news and bad news for direct care workers. Its most immediate effect will be a drop in take-home pay, as payroll taxes take a bigger bite out of workers' incomes in 2013 than they have for the last four years.

In 2009-2010, workers benefited from the Making Work Pay provision of the Recovery Act, which provided a tax credit of up to $400 for individuals and $800 for married couples filing jointly. Most workers received the benefit of the Making Work Pay Credit through larger paychecks, reflecting reduced federal income tax withholding. Read more from Shawn Fremstad of the Center for Economic and Policy Research.

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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.