Spotlight_ An International Family Caregiver Perspective By: Anya Nasar Political Communications Intern Eldercare Workforce Alliance Prologue:  Working for EWA has broadened my perspective on the many vital issues facing at-home care workers, and the LTSS assisted living workforce. I have seen firsthand the effects family caregiving can have on an individual and the hardships and perseverance that my mother, Asma, withstood as an international caregiver to both of her parents. I felt a strong connection to the issues EWA advocates for and learned the similarities and differences between f ..read more

  The Dekker Family   By: Samuel Van Camp, Political Communications Intern for the Eldercare Workforce Alliance Prologue: I set out to conduct this interview after I made a strong connection between the work I am doing as an intern at EWA and the experience my mom’s immediate family had, as family caregivers for my Granddad and my aunt, Janet Dekker living with dementia over 17 years. My mother, Jenny Van Camp (nee Dekker) and her siblings in the Dekker family as well as my Grandmother, Margaret Dekker were interviewed.  In addition to my mom and grandmother, I spoke to two un ..read more

Legislation Would Support Direct-Care Workers   (Read the full PDF here) Washington, DC – The Eldercare Workforce Alliance (EWA) has endorsed the Direct Creation, Advancement, and Retention of Employment (CARE) Opportunity Act (H.R. 2999). Earlier this month, House Committee on Education and Labor Chairman Bobby Scott (VA-03), Representative Susan Wild (PA-07), and Representative Susie Lee (NV-03) introduced this legislation to invest in and support direct care workers. The Direct CARE Opportunity Act helps address this demand by strengthening support for workers who provide dai ..read more

Click here for the full press release. Washington, DC—The Eldercare Workforce Alliance sent a letter to Congress Wednesday outlining the immediate needs of the workforce that cares for older adults during the COVID-19 pandemic. EWA is a coalition of 35 national organizations joined together to address the immediate and future workforce crisis in caring for an aging America, to sound the alarm for this largely invisible workforce and the older adults served during the COVID-19 pandemic. With organizations that represent consumers, family caregivers, the direct-care workforce, and healthcare pro ..read more

President Signs Stimulus Bill That Includes Vital Geriatrics Workforce Provisions (click here for full PDF)   Washington, DC—Congress passed landmark legislation today that would inject $2 trillion into the country’s hardest hit businesses, workforce, and the health care industry affected by COVID-19.  The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act) H.R. 748, also included the reauthorization of the federal geriatrics workforce programs, the Geriatrics Workforce Enhancement Program (GWEP) and the Geriatrics Academic Career Award (GACA) at $40.7 million for five yea ..read more

Laural Traylor, MSW Tell us a little about your background and what brought you to the Health and Aging Policy Fellows Program. Thank you. What a great opportunity to reflect. My story really starts with supportive mentors at California State University, Long Beach in Social Work and Gerontology. I was encouraged by both departments to pursue my interest in macro practice in support of older adults. I eventually took on a role as geriatric education specialist within the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) in the Greater Los Angeles Geriatric Research Education and Clinical Centers (GREC ..read more

What does the policy landscape for 2020 look like for the Eldercare Workforce Alliance? Congress is in the middle of the 116th session and EWA continues to advocate for bills introduced in the last year.  In particular, we continue to lead efforts on the geriatrics workforce reauthorization legislation, that include the only federal geriatrics training programs.  These programs are vital to the future of us all as we age. EWA also remains committed to another important bill recently endorsed by the Alliance, the Direct CARE Opportunity Act (H.R. 4397) (S. 2521).  ..read more

EWA Endorses Direct CARE Opportunity Act Legislation Would Support Direct-Care Workers     Washington, DC – The Eldercare Workforce Alliance (EWA) has endorsed the Direct Creation, Advancement, and Retention of Employment (CARE) Opportunity Act (H.R. 4397).  Earlier this year Committee on Education and Labor Chairman Bobby Scott (VA-03), Representative Susie Lee (NV-03), along with Senator Tim Kaine (D-VA) and Senator Maggie Hassan (D-NH), introduced legislation to invest in and support direct care workers.  The Direct CARE Opportunity Act helps address this deman ..read more

Greg Link, MA Director, Office of Supportive and Caregiver Services ACL/AoA   EWA supported the RAISE Family Caregivers Act and is pleased to see it being implemented.  Can you share some information about how the Administration for Community Living is overseeing the work of the RAISE family caregiver advisory panel? And what is the charge of the advisory panel? ACL is appreciative of the Eldercare Workforce Alliance’s interest in the implementation of the requirements of the RAISE Act and for its efforts on behalf of family caregivers. ACL views the RAISE Act as a significant oppor ..read more

Washington, DC— The House yesterday passed legislation that would reauthorize federal geriatrics workforce programs. The Eldercare Workforce Alliance (EWA) commends Representative Jan Schakowsky (D-Ill) and co-sponsor Representative Michael C. Burgess (R-TX) for introducing the bipartisan EMPOWER for Health Act of 2019 (H.R. 2781) in the U.S. House of Representatives. This bill reauthorizes many workforce programs under Title VII of the Public Health Service Act, including geriatrics. This bill would ensure communities across the U.S. have access to health professionals and other critical supp ..read more