Former Local 771 President Helen Hanson's new direct care blog...

Helen Hanson is a direct care worker who was one of the principal organizers of Local 771, which is a part of mseaseiu.org and represents direct care and home health care workers in Maine. She has started a new career as an advocate for the Direct Care Alliance and has a blog where you can follow her work: http://blog.directcarealliance.org/author/hhanson/ Helen is also running for the State House of Representatives from House District 55. There is a great new profile of her on Emerge Maine!

Health Voucher Program Helps Mainers Afford Insurance

Maine PASA and its members have been working very hard to get the message out to the home health workforce that there are options in getting and maintaining affordable health insurance for themselves and their families. More info at http://www.dirigohealth.maine.gov/

MSEA-SEIU Members, Family, Friends Join in "One Nation" Rally at Lincoln Memorial

New grant for Home Health Care training for Maine

A total of $4.2 million was awarded to California, Iowa, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, and North Carolina for the project. The six states that are participating in the three-year PHCAST Program are expected to train over 5,100 personal home care aides by 2013. http://www.hhs.gov/news/press/2010pres/09b/state_charts.html

Healthy Home Care, for Patients and Workers

from PHI Blog

As patients continue to leave hospitals "sicker and quicker," home health care delivery is becoming more complicated. With patients needing more - and more complex - care, the workers in this "under the radar" health care setting face increased health and safety risks.

In addition to occupational hazards normally associated with health care delivery in general (e.g., contaminated sharps, heavy lifting, etc.), households can also present a wide range of potential occupational health hazards, from vermin to violence. Combined, these can put home care workers - including nearly 2 million direct care workers - at risk of occupational injury and illness.

Read the rest of the post

Major Grants for Direct Care Workforce in Health Reform

from PHI, published by A. Toleos in the June 23, 2010 e-newsletter

PHI's Health Care for Health Care Workers campaign has released a fact sheet highlighting key health reform provisions related to investments in direct-care worker training and workforce development.

Health Reform Facts 1: Workforce Development and Training Opportunites for Direce Care Workers (pdf)

These investments include the creation of national advisory panels as well as grant opportunities for states and individual employers.

The following listt from the fact sheet summarizes the key opportunities available between now and when the law is fully implemented in 2014. Download the full fact sheet (pdf) for more information.

Commissions:
Personal Care Attendants Workforce Advisory Panel (Title VIII, Sec 8002)
National Health Care Workforce Commission (Title V, Subtitle B, Sec 5101)

Training Grants:
Personal and Home Care Aide State Training Program (Title V, Subtitle 5, Sec 5507 (b))
Nursing Assistant and Home Health Aide Program (Title V, Subtitle D, Sec 5309)
Training Opportunites for Direct Care Workers (Title V, Subtitle D, Sec 5302)

Workforce Development:
State Health Care Workforce Development Grants (Title V, Subtitle B, Sec 5102)
Enhancement of Long-Term Care (Title VI, Subtitle H, Sec 6703)

More information related to health reform and its impact on elder care and disability services is available at the PHI Health Reform Resource Center.

AFL-CIO NOW BLOG | Public Supports Paid Sick Leave

AFL-CIO NOW BLOG Public Supports Paid Sick Leave