More than a Companion: My visit to the Department of Labor

On May 28, I was with the Direct Care Alliance in Washington, DC, again bringing direct care worker issues to the attention of decision-makers. This time, at the U.S. Department of Labor.

We're all so excited about the FLSA extension issue being added to the regulatory agenda, and we met with two representatives from the Wage and Hour Division to explain why minimum wage and overtime protections are essential to creating a strong direct care workforce. The representatives were very open and honest, which I greatly appreciated. They met with us to learn more about what direct care workers do on a day-to-day basis and to understand more about our work. At one point they used the word "companion" to identify home care workers and I cringed. But I was easily able to explain to them the differences between companion and home care worker, which they appreciated.

I explained that I am more than a companion and I took them on a journey through my typical work day with my consumer - a quadriplegic woman who is totally dependent on direct care workers each day. I described the routine:

1. Make breakfast, distribute medications

2. Bowel care

3. Assembling sling and hoyer lift to transfer her from the bed to shower

4. Bathing

5. Transfer back from shower to bed, towel dry

6. Deoderant, lotions, dress upper body

7. Skin care of her legs

8. Arm weights to keep her limbs strong

9. Catheter care; drainage, secure the tubing, wrapping the catheter and port with gauze to protect her skin

10. Dress lower body

11. Transfer from bed to wheelchair

12. Housework, laundry, cooking, bookkeeping, grocery shopping, errands, doctors appointments

You might ask, "what was the point of going into such detail?" Well, the point was to demonstrate that our work goes far, far beyond simple companionship. We do not sit and watch "Price is Right" with our consumers. In fact, it is nearly impossible to even take a breather and get yourself a glass of water because you're often too busy. And as challenging and frustrating as our work can be at times, helping decision-makers understand the value of our work is exhilarating.

A display honoring labor unions in the D.O.L. lobby

posted by Helen Hanson, June 7th, Direct Care Alliance Blog