Karen Kahn

A guest commentary by PHI communications director Karen Kahn called “Now Is the Time to Invest in America’s Caregivers” has been published at Women’s eNews. A global feminist news service, Women’s eNews has been closely covering the impact of the worldwide economic crisis and proposed recovery strategies on women.

Kahn says of  The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act:

“Among what I see as a bright point: States may use some of the additional $4 billion in work-force development funds to expand and improve training for the nation’s direct-care workers.”

On the growth of direct-care within the health care sector:

“Direct-care jobs–nursing assistants, home health aides and personal care attendants–are the employment core of this industry, and all three of these jobs are among the top 10 fastest-growing jobs in the country.”

On direct-care wages and benefits:

“Annual earnings average about $17,000 and 1 in 4 direct-care workers do not have health insurance. Their training is often inadequate and they have few opportunities for career growth. As a result, 40 percent of direct-care workers live in households that receive some form of public benefits.”

At the end of the piece, Kahn includes a quote from President Obama, who, after spending a day with home care worker Pauline Beck while on the campaign trail, said this:

“There’s a lot of good people like Pauline who aren’t asking for much. They just want a living wage. They want health care, so they aren’t bankrupt when they get sick. They want a good education for their children and their grandchildren. They want to be able to retire with a little dignity and respect. That’s not too much to ask for in a country as wealthy as ours.”

Kahn follows this quote — and ends the piece — with this simple directive: “Obama now leads the federal government. We must push him to follow through.”