Check out this important information from the Eldercare Workforce Alliance.  It could have a huge impact on your future career!

By 2030, one in five Americans will be age 65 or older, 75% of whom will have one or more chronic conditions. Many older adults and those with chronic diseases do not receive the care they need because of an inadequately trained healthcare workforce, clinician and faculty shortages, and poor working conditions for direct-care workers (such as nursing assistants, home health aides and personal care aides).

We can strengthen the eldercare workforce by urging Congress to include the following measures as part of health reform:

• Increase the federal match for all home- and community-based services funded under Medicaid.
  
• Expand the Geriatrics Health Professions Education and Training Programs under Titles VII and VIII of the Public Health Service Act to increase the supply of essential healthcare professionals.
  
• Extend greater federal minimum wage and overtime protection under the Fair Labor Standards Act to 1,500,000 home care workers.
  
• Provide loan forgiveness for professional training in geriatric care.
  
• Support appropriate care coordination services under Medicare and Medicaid.
  
• Provide training and support for direct-care workers and family caregivers.

If you would like to support the above health reform measures, please click here to visit the Eldercare Workforce Alliance and LET YOUR VOICE BE HEARD!  You can call or email your Representatives and Senators so they know how you feel about better education, pay and working conditions for direct-care workers like yourself.

All of us at In the Know will be making our calls, too!

Best wishes,

Linda

Linda Leekley BS, RN