The Direct Care News 
For direct care workers and their allies February 25, 2014
|
|
New Training Opportunities for Maine Direct Care Workers
|
 Direct care workers in Maine can learn new skills and obtain certificates to demonstrate their expertise free of change, thanks to a new pilot training model that blends online and in-class training. The Maine Direct Service Worker Training Program provides flexible, convenient, and efficient training opportunities for direct service workers in Maine's adult long-term services and supports system, easing the way to employment. Workers interested in a career pathway within the direct care profession can be cross-trained and more easily certified to work with multiple populations. Read more.
|
|
Direct from Washington, D.C.
|
House Subcommittee Examines Older Americans Act Reauthorization: On February 11, the U.S. House of Representatives' Education and the Workforce Subcommittee on Higher Education and Workforce Training held a hearing titled Serving Seniors Through the Older Americans Act. The Older Americans Act (OAA) plays a primary role in the social and nutrition services available for older adults, including in the long-term services and supports arena. In her opening statement, chairwoman Virginia Foxx said the committee was exploring how the OAA could "effectively meet the needs of the rapidly growing senior population--especially amid current fiscal constraints." Authorization for OAA ended in 2011. Last year a reauthorization bill (S.1562) passed with full bipartisan support in a U.S. Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee hearing, and last month a reauthorization bill was introduced in the House (H.R.3850).
Employer Mandate for Health Care Coverage Delayed for Second Time: The Affordable Care Act's employer mandate that businesses meeting certain requirements provide their employees with health insurance was initially set to take effect last month. Last July it was delayed until January 2015, and on February 10, a second delay was announced. This delay applies to businesses with between 50 and 99 employees, which now have until January 2016 to decide whether to offer their employees insurance or pay a penalty. Businesses will also be barred from laying off workers in order to fall under the size threshold. Direct care workers are among those who stand to benefit from the employer mandate, as those who work for qualifying employers will be able to access health care through their employers.
|
|
Get Direct Care Workers Covered:
A home health aide is relieved to get coverage but wishes it were even cheaper
|
 Beverly, a home health aide in New York City, usually works 5 days a week for 7 hours a day, but her hours--and therefore her pay--fluctuate, as they do for most home care workers. At just $10.58 an hour, she earned about $18,000 last year. For her first five years on the job, her earnings were low enough that she qualified for health insurance though Medicaid, but in 2012 she lost her coverage. Read more.
|
For My Friend Jack who has Cerebral Palsy and Lives in a Nursing Home
|
 | | David Moreau |
If I were you this is what I'd say There was a lack of oxygen at my birth. My mom and dad were good to me growing up. As a young man I was put in a bad place once, but now I have a life we share together at Clover Manor. Read the rest of David Moreau's poem.
|
|
