The Direct Care News 
For direct care workers and their allies July 30, 2013
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Let's Get Direct Care Workers Covered!
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DCA is thrilled to announce its new initiative, Get Direct Care Workers Covered. Thanks to the generous support of the New York State Health Foundation, Get Direct Care Workers Covered will help direct care workers and other uninsured individuals throughout New York State get health insurance through the New York State Health Benefit Exchange which opens on October 1, 2013.
The launch of the Exchange and expansion of Medicaid creates a historic opportunity to increase the number of direct care workers with health insurance. Get Direct Care Workers Covered is an education and enrollment initiative that will ensure that the benefits of health care reform reaches low-income and immigrant communities. Given that approximately 2.7 million New Yorkers - including over 85,000 direct care workers - are uninsured, this is a critical development in our work to improve the health and economic and security of uninsured direct care workers and individuals throughout the state. Read more from Carla Washington.
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Direct from Washington, D.C.
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Thomas Perez Sworn in as Labor Secretary: On July 23, Thomas Perez--after being nominated by President Obama and confirmed by the U.S. Senate-- was sworn in as Secretary of the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL). Throughout his career, Secretary Perez has worked to advance equality and fairness, workers' rights and immigration reform. Direct Care Alliance looks forward to working with the Secretary on initiatives to improve direct care jobs, including finalizing DOL's proposed regulations to extend minimum wage and overtime protections to home care workers under the federal Fair Labor Standards Act (FSLA). Read DCA's statement
about Perez's confirmation.
Congresswomen Launch Economic Agenda for Women and Families: On July 18, U.S. House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi (D, CA) and Representatives Rosa DeLauro (D, CA), Donna Edwards (D, MD) and Doris Matsu (D, CA) announced a new agenda, titled "When Women Succeed, America Succeeds: An Economic Agenda for Women and Families." The agenda focuses on a variety of topics that are important to the largely female direct care workforce -- including equal pay for equal work and issues of work-family balance, such as paid sick and family leave and funding for child care. Learn more.
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AMDA Seeks Volunteers for Clinical Practice Guidelines Revision
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The American Medical Directors Association (AMDA), the professional association of medical directors, attending physicians, and others practicing in the long term care continuum, is dedicated to excellence in patient care and provides education, advocacy, information, and professional development to promote the delivery of quality long term care medicine. AMDA publishes Clinical Practice Guidelines for a variety of conditions specifically for use in long-term care settings. AMDA is actively seeking volunteers to participate in the next revision of the Clinical Practice Guidelines for diabetes and heart failure. All communication with volunteers is done via email and conference call -- no travel is required. If you are a certified nursing assistant with experience working in a long term care setting and you are interested in volunteering for this project, see AMDA's call for volunteers for more information and to find out how to apply. |
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