| Home Members Sponsors & Funders Current Campaigns History FAQ IVP Network Calendar Contact UsDonate |
| |
Campaign to Address the Long-term Care Crisis in the Valley |
Health Care for Health Care Workers Effort: Collecting Stories
In order to illustrate the relationship of quality direct
care jobs to quality direct care for our elderly, disabled and chronically ill community members, the KVO Long-term Care Team collected personal stories from people who
experience direct care as consumers, workers, providers or unpaid caregivers in both nursing homes and home
care.
Here are a few of the stories we collected:
 |
Eunice, the Story of a Home Based Care Consumer
"If I could offer my home care workers health insurance, it would make such a huge difference...to
find and retain good applicants, who provide the best care and make it possible to live at home."
Click on the picture to read the rest of Eunice's story. (Use your browser's "back" button to return
to this page) |
 |
Tina, the Story of a Home Based Care Worker
"I don't want to give up working for Eunice, but I also don't want to wind up in a coma, or dead.
If I don't take care of myself, I'm no good to anybody..."
Click on the picture to read the rest of Tina's story. (Use your browser's "back" button to return
to this page) |
 |
Joan, the Story of a Family Caregiver
"Some days I get a phone call to say, 'I'm sorry, but we don't have anybody to send to your home.
Would you be alright today if nobody came?' And I'll say, 'Sure', because there's really no choice.
And some days when they don't have an aide, I won't even get a phone call..."
Click on the picture to read the rest of Joan's story. (Use your browser's "back" button to return
to this page) |
 |
Dick, the Story of a Family Caregiver
"They gave me a list of available home care aides...but the closest one lived in
Dexter - 18 miles away..."
Click on the picture to read the rest of Dick's story. (Use your browser's "back" button to return
to this page) |
 |
Diane, the Story of a Home Care Assistant
"Once I tried cutting down from two pills a day to one, but that made me really sick... "
Click on the picture to read the rest of Diane's story. (Use your browser's "back" button to return
to this page) |
 |
Jane, the Story of a Nursing Home Resident's Daughter
"The nurses are so stretched out over there. They tell me that they aren't understaffed, they're 'legally staffed.' Well, you say potato..."
Click on the picture to read the rest of Jane's story. (Use your browser's "back" button to return
to this page) |
 |
Betty, the Story of a Nursing Home CNA
"You get so tired, and you work so many hours because they need the help, and you get to the point you say, 'I gotta get done...' [But] no matter how many times I try to leave, [this work] just keeps drawing me back... "
Click on the picture to read the rest of Betty's story. (Use your browser's "back" button to return
to this page) |
 |
Gail, the Story of a Nursing Home CNA
"People just plain quit and go to Wal-Mart, or somewhere they can earn more money and it's less stressful..."
Click on the picture to read the rest of Gail's story. (Use your browser's "back" button to return
to this page) |
KVO used these and other stories like them to educate our
own members, the public at large, legislators and other decision-makers about the importance of improving
the pay, benefits, and working conditions for direct care workers.
If you provide or need long-term care for yourself or others, we want your story! Contact the KVO Office at 873-5844 or kvo@gwi.net if you would be willing to share your story in writing or by interview. No part of your story will be
used publicly without your explicit written consent.
|
