I’m sorry you feel so defeated. The work you and other direct-care workers do is extraodinarily valuable. Many dedicated workers leave the profession for exactly the same reasons you are considering leaving—poor compensation. PHI strongly believes that our country will face a severe crisis in the next decade if we are not able to provide better wages and benefits, training, and advancement opportunities to attrach workers to direct-care. You might want to check out what we are doing on the policy front to make these changes, by visiting http://www.PHInational.org/policy.

As soon as I can find a job that pays even a few cents more than the direct service job I hold now – I am gone.

This story has shown me the true futility of believing that the system will someday recognize the importance of the work we direct care workers perform. It’s just not going to happen in my lifetime.