The Direct Care News 
For direct care workers and their allies September 24, 2013
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Celebrating a Major Battle Won
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 | | Tracy Dudzinski |
Yesterday in Washington, D.C., DCA and the other groups that led the coalition that advocated for the minimum wage and overtime rule for home care workers--Caring Across Generations, Hand in Hand: The Domestic Employers Association, the Institute for Policy Studies, the National Employment Law Proiect, and PHI--hosted a gathering to celebrate home care workers and the rule. This is the toast I gave there, on behalf of DCA.I would like to thank President Obama, Secretary Perez and the Department of Labor for meeting with and listening to the people who do this work every day and the people we serve. I remember when I stood with President Obama as he announced the proposed rule in December of 2011. I was proud to hear him speak about my profession with such respect. That night I felt like I could fly back to Wisconsin without boarding the plane. I had the same feeling last week when the final rule was announced. Read more from DCA Board Chair Tracy Dudzinski.
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Direct from Washington, D.C.
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Thank the President and Secretary Perez for a Landmark Victory: Help celebrate and cement our victory by signing a thank you letter to President Obama and DOL Secretary Perez for extending Fair Labor Standards Act protections to home care workers. Visit the DOL webpage for more information about the regulations and to register for upcoming webinars on the topic. DCA Signs on to Letter Supporting Reintroduction of the Health Equity and Accountability Act: DCA has signed on to a letter to the Congressional Tri-Caucus--made up of the Congressional Hispanic, Black and Asian Pacific American Caucuses--supporting their efforts to eliminate health disparities and to reintroduce the Health Equity and Accountability Act (HEAA). HEAA builds on the Affordable Care Act (ACA, also known as Obamacare) to further eliminate health disparities for racial and ethnic minorities and others. Direct care workers stand to benefit from such efforts, as more than half of the workforce are members of a racial or ethnic minority, 20% are foreign born, and 30% are uninsured. Direct care workers also have higher than average rates of chronic conditions and one of the highest rates of on-the-job injuries. Long-Term Care Commission Report Addresses Direct Care Workforce Issues: The Commission on Long-Term Care, which was charged with creating a plan to establish, implement and finance a "comprehensive, coordinated, and high-quality system" of long-term services and supports, released its final report on September 18. Many direct care workforce issues are addressed in the Commission's report and the alternative recommendations from five members of the commission, including wages, career ladders and lattices, improved state standards and establishment of a certification process for home care workers. Read summaries of the Commission's recommendations and the alternative recommendations.
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A Texas Progress Report from DCA's Executive Director
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 | | Carla Washington |
Ninety-seven years old. One hundred years old. One hundred and four years old. These are ages of just three of the clients that I had the privilege of meeting while spending time with the Greater Houston Direct Care Alliance (GHDCA). It was an eye-opening and humbling experience to be invited into the assisted living facility where they live to observe the skilled care provided lovingly by Dream Care home care workers.
The owner of Dream Care Home Care Agency, LaDonna Williams, considers her work much more than a business. It's a life she's chosen, and she instills this same feeling in others by always making herself available for consultation with her workers, her clients' families, and the staff of the facilities where some of her clients live. Most importantly, she models for her workers why this profession of theirs demands devotion and deserves respect. Read more from DCA Executive Director Carla Washington.
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