Some Great Advice from DCA Advocate Brenda Nachtway

Last month, I drove to Washington, D.C., to talk to legislators and their staff about what direct care workers want. It wasn’t the first time I’ve gotten up close and personal with politicians. In 2007, I organized a direct care worker forum for U.S. Senator Robert Casey. Senator Casey came to the hospital where I work (I’m a hospice aide). He spoke to the direct care workers who showed up to see him, but I think what he liked best was the chance he got to listen and learn. He really seemed interested what the workers had to say in the Q and A after his speech, and he asked me a lot of questions about my job and what could help me do it better. So it wasn’t exactly news to me to learn, last month, that legislators want to hear from direct care workers. But hearing it so many times – it must have been repeated at least five times during that two-day visit – really drove home the message. I went to the Capitol with Direct Care Alliance Executive Director Leonila Vega and DCA National Policy Advocate Roy Gedat. They set up the meetings and did most of the talking, since this was mostly a learning experience for me. The main thing I learned was: When you talk to a legislator, be yourself – but be prepared. We talked to legislative staff from several states, including Ann Montgomery of the Senate Special Committee on Aging, who was very interested in hearing about the DCA. We also met with a representative of a women’s group. We also visited Senator Casey. His aide, Morna Murray, told me: “I want you to know, Brenda, that the senator, when he hears your name, can’t stop talking about the day he spend walking in your shoes and how over 100 workers came to hear him from all over the commonwealth. It was really an eye-opening day.” That was pretty thrilling. Everyone we met with said: “We want to get to know direct care workers. We want to know what their issues are. The only way we’re going to hit this nail in the head when we try to address these issues in our legislation is if we hear from direct-care workers.” When I came home, I thought about that and called two of my local representatives. I’ll be meeting with U.S. Senator Arlen Specter this Tuesday at the capitol in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. The following week, I’ll be meeting with Congressman Chris Carney’s staff member. When they heard that I was a direct care worker, they said, “We’re so excited about meeting somebody who’s actually doing the job.” But I can’t do this alone – and I don’t want to. There are so many congressmen and local legislators throughout the Commonwealth alone, not to mention in the rest of the country. If you’re a direct care worker who wants to improve your job, you need to go out and talk to your local representatives, your congressmen and senators and their staff. Your local representatives probably don’t have much of a staff, but when you’re trying to reach a U.S. Senator it’s best to start with their staff. They’re the ones who do most of the research and work. They’re a lot easier to reach, too. Once you get your meeting, tell them a little about yourself. If you’re part of an association that advocates for direct care workers, tell them a little about your group. Then talk about what you see and experience on the job every day. Tell them what would help you deliver better care. If there’s a bill pending in your state that would help direct care workers, know the name of it and what it’s about so you can urge your representative to support it. And leave something behind that explains who direct care workers are and what we need. On our trip to DC last month, we left behind a handout about the DCA. I also brought evaluation forms from the Pennsylvania Direct Care Workers Association, since they had answers to a question we asked about what issues the association should address. The workers listed all the usual issues: better wages, staffing ratios, health insurance, training, respect for the job we do, being able to move up in position, teaching supervisors how to empower direct care workers. If you want some help in setting up a meeting with a legislator, or if you just want some moral support, get in touch. I’d love to talk to you about it. Brenda Nachtway Direct Care Worker Specialist Direct Care Alliance brendanachtway@gmail.com Brenda is a fellow graduate of the DCA's VOICES INSTITUTE inaugural class 2008. Watch Brenda's testimony for Pennsylvania Direct Care Workers Association in April 2008.