Direct Care News: Making Our Mommas Proud

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For direct care workers and their allies

May 14, 2013

Making Our Mommas Proud

As a member of the Caring Across Generations Leadership Team, DCA is proud to have helped lead a series of actions organized by Caring Across Generations last week in Washington D.C. Here's a report on the events.

DCA member Peg Ankney.

We did it!

Last week, we brought more than 100 people representing 26 different states together for a congressional briefing in D.C., asking for a comprehensive approach to expanding and supporting a strong home care workforce and making community-based long-term services and supports affordable and accessible. Because long-term care is a women's issue--women both provide and receive most of the care and services--we built our visits around the theme of Mother's Day.

Together we shared over two hours of testimony, held more than 40 meetings with Senate offices and got resolutions introduced into both the House and the Senate that call for a solution to the long-term care crises our families are in. We couldn't have done it without your support. Read more from Caring Across Generations.

Direct from Washington, D.C.

May 2013 is Older Americans Month: On April 30, President Obama issued a proclamation declaring May 2013 Older Americans Month. For decades, the month of May has been a time to honor older Americans and acknowledge their contributions to the country. Let's not forget to honor the care, services and supports that older American direct care workers provide to consumers of every age.

House Passes Working Families Flexibility Act: On May 8, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the Working Families Flexibility Act of 2013 (H.R.1406). The bill seeks to provide workers in the private sector who work overtime and are covered under the Fair Labor Standards Act with the option of compensatory time off instead of overtime pay. Despite its name, however, the bill does not guarantee workers the necessary flexibility to use their preferred method of compensation when they want it, and would leave them vulnerable to certain kinds of abuse and coercion. Read a statement from the National Partnership for Women & Families about the House vote and learn more about the bill and alternatives that would be better for workers and their families.

Educating My Legislature About CNA Staffing Ratios

Helen Hanson

One of the good things about doing advocacy work is that it gets easier with time. That's partly just because you get better at it. Every time I speak up about direct care worker issues, it gets easier to figure out what I want to say and how to say it, and it's been years since I was nervous about talking to my legislators.

It also helps that other people who care about the same issues get to know you, so if something comes up that they know you'd want to speak up about, they'll let you know about it.

That's what happened to me a couple weeks ago when our State Long Term Care Ombudsman, Brenda Gallant, told me about a hearing the Maine legislature was about to hold on a nursing home staffing bill. Read more from CNA and DCA member Helen Hanson.

Quick Links

Direct from the Headlines

The paid sick days movement made a giant step forward when the New York City Council voted almost unanimously for a bill that would guarantee paid sick leave to approximately one million workers--including many direct care workers.

Advocates called for better pay and working conditions for home care workers in the Huffington Post and on Portland, Maine's WCSH TV, whose report on a Caring Across Generations action features DCA member Helen Hanson.

Are you worried that paying overtime to home care workers would force consumers into nursing homes? Then you might find these facts reassuring.

A PHI Michigan survey finds that low pay, part-time hours, and poor training make it hard to recruit and retain home care workers.

The Vermont House has passed a bill that would establish a minimum wage and other benefits for home care workers.

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.