Direct Care Workers (DCWs) from across Michigan convened at East Lansing’s Kellogg Hotel & Conference Center to spearhead the development of a new credentialing exam pivotal to their field. Hosted by IMPART Alliance in partnership with WorkCred, the gathering aimed to enhance training protocols and ensure DCWs possess indispensable skills for their roles. Throughout the week, […]
Imagine if you or a loved one, who is older or living with a disability, needed critical or long-term care, and there was no one to provide this type of support. This is happening right now in Michigan because we don’t have enough direct care workers (DCWs). These vital workers, who go by many titles, […]
The NewsHour explores the state of today’s Direct Care Workforce in two segments that features Direct Care Workers, homecare agencies and advocates in Michigan.
Henrietta Ivey, Detroit, MI, licensed pharmacy technician, started out as a family caregiver then her paid PCA work grew by word-of-mouth. For her, it is all about the love and compassion she gives, the relationships she develops with her clients, and knowing she’s made someone’s life better. She hopes someone will be compassionate enough to […]
Ann Bilyeu, Grayling, MI, mother of 8, began DCW work 18 years ago at an eight-bed adult foster care home for persons with mental illness. It was a challenging beginning but she thought of it as an adventure. She now prefers one-on-one home care and says she will never give it up. In her off […]
Ardith Lee, Williamston, MI, Certified Nursing Assistant, Dementia Specialist, started out doing PCA work in a hospital neurological unit. When she later worked in a nursing home, she became hooked on working with persons with dementia. “I can’t imagine doing anything else. I have tried. I left for a while because you get tired lifting […]
Mare Martell, Grand Rapids, MI, has been doing paid DCW work for 3 years and says it makes her “blissfully happy” to be able to serve others. “I would do it for free, however, free does not pay bills.” She loves animals, has a menagerie of pets including a house chicken, and is an artist […]
Sarah Bigby, Holland, MI, Medical Assistant. Has been a DCW for 9 years. She gave it a try because it is in the medical field and offered flexible hours that allowed her to care for her young child. She stuck with it because, “It still gives me the flexibility to maintain my life and take […]
Jeremy Klimas and Elizabeth Peterson, Grayling, MI, live in a full house, blending families and three generations to make ends meet because one income as a DCW is not enough. Raised in Detroit, Jeremy joined the Air Force, did three tours of duty, one in Afghanistan, two in Iraq. He then moved north to help […]
Betty Keller, Kalkaska, MI, is a certified nursing assistant who has been a DCW for 28 years. She talks about the skills needed to be a DCW: technical skills, patience, being able to communicate with all kinds of different people and levels of mental or physical states, recognizing when a person is in trouble medically, […]
