Key Issues & Our Agenda

The number of Americans needing long-term care is expected to double – from 13 million in 2000 to 27 million in 2050. The elderly and disabled want to stay in their own homes and remain active in the community, which is why direct care jobs are projected to be among the fastest growing occupations over the next decade.

Meeting this demand will be impossible, though, until workers are treated with the respect they deserve. Like teachers, firefighters and police officers, direct care workers provide a vital public service. However, too many people perceive direct care work as “unskilled labor” or “women’s work.” This lack of respect leads to high turnover and denies workers a seat at the table in efforts to reform our long-term care system.

The Direct Care Alliance empowers direct care workers to advocate for quality long-term care by building a stable, respected direct care workforce. We urge state and federal policymakers to:

• Secure a Living Wage and Overtime Protections: Extend protections to home care workers through the Fair Labor Standards Act and increase wages for workers compensated through Medicare and Medicaid.
• Ensure Health Care and other Benefits for Workers: Guarantee quality, affordable health care and benefits such as paid sick leave for everyone, including direct care workers.
• Create Opportunities for Training and Career Advancement: Expand training, education and certification programs to provide direct care workers with opportunities for specialization and career advancement.

Download our complete Congressional Agenda (pdf).

Additional Resources

• About Direct Care Workers (PDF)
• The Growing Demand for Direct Care Workers (PDF)
  
• PHI
• Eldercare Workforce Alliance
• Kaiser Commission on Medicaid and the Uninsured
• National Academy for State Health Policy
• Progressive States Network