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SOLUTIONS TO IOWA’S “ACTION GAP”ON DIRECT CARE WORKFORCE ISSUES The “Action Gap” can be closed by a serious, significant...

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SOLUTIONS TO IOWA’S “ACTION GAP”ON DIRECT CARE WORKFORCE ISSUES The “Action Gap” can be closed by a serious, significant and sustained investment in the following programs, services and policies: • Create a public education and recognition campaign that informs citizens about who direct care workers are, what they do, their value, and why it’s important for all Iowans to care about the recruitment and retention of a high quality direct care workforce. • Distribute and provide technical support for “The Toughest Job You’ll Ever Love” tool-kit, and other resources, for use by educators, career counselors, workforce development staff, etc. that encourages direct care as a worthy profession and career choice. • Expand financial support for programs and services that have been proven to help keep good people in the direct care profession that include: mentoring programs; educational and recognition conferences; leadership development programs; early retention intervention activities; linking workers to physical and financial wellness programs; and outreach efforts focused on expanding health care coverage. • Implement the recommendations of the Direct Care Worker Task Force, established by the General Assembly, designed to enhance the quality of care and services provided to Iowans: – Implement consistent educational and continuing education standards that also: – Create opportunities to specialize in oral care, end of life care, dementia, mental health, children with special needs, and other areas. – Create career choices and training to prepare them to work in a nursing home and hospital setting, in the homes of Iowans, or other home and community based settings. – Eliminate barriers to workers moving from one care or support setting to another. • Ensure that direct care jobs become “good jobs” that people can make a living at by: – Following through on provisions in HF 2539 from 2008 supporting efforts to increase wages for all sectors of the direct care workforce. A goal for wage increases should be set to serve as the driver of policy and appropriations discussion. (One approach recommended by the 2008 Compensation Committee created by the legislature was to have a starting and average wage no less than 85% of the wage paid to a direct care employee of the State of Iowa.)

– Establish expectations that direct care employers should provide a basic package of benefits including annual sick or personal days off, disability, life and retirement. – In order to make progress on the good jobs front, deliberations on and language regarding HHS appropriations should include expectations regarding wages and benefits as well as methods to measure accountability. • Identify, highlight and replicate the “best practices” being used by direct care employers to recruit and retain staff such as: adequate levels of staff; flexible work schedules; on the job safety; viewing and treating employees as professionals and valued members of the team; high quality orientation and training programs; livable wages and family sustaining benefits, etc. • Use taxpayer dollars in “smarter” ways. Create incentives that will have direct care employers, community colleges, the Iowa CareGivers and others who impact the direct care workforce focus their efforts on recruiting and retaining high quality employees rather than spending vast amounts of money (over $190 million dollars annually in Iowa alone) to recruit, hire and train replacements for those who leave the field of direct care. • Establish a “home” within a State agency for direct care workforce initiatives in Iowa that places responsibility and accountability for implementation of these solutions. The Iowa CareGivers looks forward to working with various stakeholders and state government leaders to address the “Action Gap” – to implement the recommendations of over fifteen year’s worth of council’s, task forces, committees, commissions, summits and pilot projects. Let’s seize the solutions that will positively impact Iowans in the Direct Care Workforce (or who will enter it) and the Iowans they serve and support. If we do, Iowa will elevate its status as leading the nation on issues that impact every other state. If we don’t take action by focusing on long-term solutions, the “Care Gap” will worsen and thousands of Iowans will be left without the services they need!

For more information contact Iowa CareGivers: 1231 8th Street, Suite 236 • West Des Moines, Iowa 50265 • Phone: 515.223.2805 [email protected] • www.IowaCareGivers.org