One hour into the final presidential debate last night, Barack Obama answered a question about the country’s health care crisis, remarking that the issue “will break your heart over and over again.”
The candidates took this final debate opportunity to mention ideas like putting health care records online, establishing more walk-in clinics, and the need to address childhood obesity.
What they didn’t mention was the issue of long-term care.
Well… The presidential debates are over and the general election is fast approaching. Given the limited amount we’ve heard from our candidates on long-term care, do you have an opinion on who would better address this issue? Who do you think will best prepare America to care for its aging population?
Some facts to consider:
The population over 65 will more than double between 2000 and 2030.
By 2016, America will need more direct-care workers than teachers from K-12.
Real wages for personal and home care aides are falling while worker demand increases.
Direct care workers are twice as likely to be uninsured than other workers
Nursing homes lose up to 70% of their workers to turnover each year.
Nursing aides, orderlies, & attendants are over 400% more likely to experience an injury than the average worker.
On October 6, a story by the Philadelphia Inquirer examined the challenges faced by Karen Goroncy (pictured left), a 51-year-old home health aide in Pennsylvania without health coverage.
The next day, Garrison Keillor (pictured below), best known for his radio show “A Prairie Home Companion” and his stories of Lake Wobegon, referenced Goroncy’s situation in a a story for his nationally syndicated column.
Keillor commented in his usual folksy way:
“In Philly, a woman earns $10.30/hour to care for a man brought down by cystic fibrosis. She bathes and dresses him in the morning, brings him meals, puts him to bed at night. It’s hard work lifting him and she has suffered a painful hernia that, because she can’t afford health insurance, she can’t get fixed, but she still goes to work because he’d be helpless without her. There are a lot of people like her. I know because I’m related to some of them.”
As the crisis in long-term care grows in severity, it’s encouraging to see the plight of direct-care workers drawing the focus of media and to see the importance of direct-care work being publicly recognized. Public recognition of the problem is an important step along the path to achieving the fundamental change we all know is necessary if America is to be prepared to meet the challenges presented by its rapidly aging population.
Last week, PHI submitted — and asked you to submit — the following question to the Oct 7 “town hall” presidential debate:
By 2016, we will need a million more direct-care workers to care for our elders. But direct-care jobs pay poverty wages and have massive rates of turnover. How will you ensure that America has a workforce that is prepared to care for its aging population?
Thank you to everyone that followed through with this request. Unfortunately, the question was not asked.
Keeping the Pressure On
This week, PHI is encouraging readers to submit the question directly to the presidential candidates through their websites at BarackObama.com and JohnMcCain.com.
Please copy and submit our question from above or formulate your own. If you need ideas for the latter, I recommend taking a look at the following PHI resources:
The Oct. 7th “Town Hall” debate between presidential candidates Obama and McCain is accepting questions from the public. All questions will be forwarded to moderator Tom Brokaw for consideration.
PHI submitted the following question:
By 2016, we will need a million more direct-care workers to care for our elders. But direct-care jobs pay poverty wages and have massive rates of turnover. How will you ensure that America has a workforce that is prepared to care for its aging population? Read the full story
Tuesday night at the Democratic Convention in Denver, I saw a special speaker take the floor around 6:15. Her name is Pauline Beck, and she is a home care worker in Oakland, California.
A year ago, Barack Obama spent a day on the job with Pauline, as part of the SEIU’s Walk a Day in My Shoes initiative. Pauline, who referred to the candidate as “my friend,” spoke passionately about her belief in his ability to change America and help people like herself. “I’ll never forget the day I spent working with Senator Obama, and I know he won’t either,” she said.
“My job is to help people, and I love my job, but being a home care worker is hard,” Pauline told the delegates. “The wages are low, the hours can be long, and the work can be physically challenging…. Workers need a president who stands up for us.”
As the energy and anticipation spread through the crowd, it was thrilling to see a direct-care worker take on such a prominent role. The fact that this workforce was highlighted is a very promising sign: We could be in for some significant, much-needed changes in long-term care policy over the next few years.
Allison Lee, National Campaign Manager
Health Care for Health Care Workers alee@phinational.org
ANCOR continues its advocacy work for direct support professionals (DSPs) with two announcements this month: It has selected the winners of its 2008 DSP TV Online video contest, and it has won the unanimous support of the U.S. Senate for its National Direct Support Professionals Week.
The six DSP TV Online winners — all both by and about DSPs and the people they work for – are now available for viewing on ANCOR’s website. (Above, see the winning video.) All six are full of heart. They convey the pride and joy dedicated DSPs take in their profession, the difference they make in the lives of the people they work with, and the mutual respect and affection that develop between workers and clients. They also contain calls for better pay and benefits, along with a lot of singing, dancing, and enthusiastic expressions of gratitude. ANCOR calls them “part of a greater effort to raise awareness of the workforce wage issue and give DSPs the ability to tell their stories in their own words, and as only they can.”
In addition, the U.S. Senate has recognized the week of September 8 as National Direct Support Professionals Recognition Week. (pdf) The unanimously approved resolution is timed to coincide with ANCOR’s annual Governmental Activities Seminar and its DSPs to DC event in Washington, D.C.
