Direct care worker shortage is a crisis

I am a wheelchair user who lives independently in the community. I have lived alone in my apartment in Boulder for over four years. I’m able to live independently because of home health. Five days a week I am visited by a direct care worker who cleans, does my laundry and helps me with various tasks that I cannot do by myself. My direct care worker doesn’t stay all day, they usually arrive around 9 a.m. and are gone by noon. Medicaid pays for my direct care workers under the Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS) waiver.

Since living independently, I have thrived because I have learned to do things on my own. I am stronger mentally and physically and have learned the importance of self-advocacy.

Last summer, my direct care worker fell ill and I couldn’t get a replacement. I called several different home health agencies but they all told me that they are short-staffed and unable to help me. I went for WEEKS without consistent care. Living independently without reliable home health is incredibly dangerous. Luckily, my friends and family stepped up to ensure my safety, but many people with disabilities don’t have that sort of safety net.

Our nation is facing a direct care worker shortage which is a crisis. Currently, direct care workers receive horribly low wages with little to no benefits. Plus, there’s not really a career path and no chance of career advancement. Many direct care workers have left the workforce because they simply couldn’t afford to live with the low wages. Sadly, it’s not uncommon for home health agencies to put increased Medicaid funding towards the company’s bottom line instead of passing the funding on to the workers.

The reality is that everyone will need direct care workers eventually. If we don’t fix this situation now, the crisis will become worse.

So what can you do to help? First, just simply thank direct care workers and acknowledge the importance of home health. Second, go to www.coloradocareworkersunite.org and sign the petition for a home care worker bill of rights.

Governor Polis signed a proclamation declaring April 2 to 8 as direct care workers appreciation week. This is a step towards fixing the broken home health care system.

— Jennifer Ochs, Boulder

Stop publishing names of mass shooters

If we want to stop the endless slaughter of school children, and adults, by shooters at our schools, we need to stop rewarding the perpetrators by allowing the media to publish their names!

For years we had a law preventing the publication of the name of minors who commit crimes — why don’t we do the same with these murderers? I believe that the main reason these sick people choose this path is that they want to die “famous” (infamous) — and they know this is the only way that the world will know and remember their names!

Let’s stop this now!

— Elizabeth Banner, Boulder

Library’s fix-it clinic is a amazing public resource

My husband and I recently had a truly delightful experience at Boulder Public Library’s U-Fix-It Clinic. Everyone should know about this amazing resource which takes place in the main BPL Makerspace (Bldg 61) several times a year.

At the March 26 clinic, we were greeted by a cheerful cadre of volunteers who appeared to relish a chance to analyze a solution to assist us in repairing our old electric lawnmower. Our support team was led by volunteer Bill Waite, a retired electrical engineering professor from CU Boulder. Within an hour, we were amazed to have a functioning lawnmower and enjoyed practicing using tools new to us.

Last fall, my husband had taken that same broken lawnmower to a professional service center in Boulder. Without even looking at it, the person behind the counter quoted a price of $100 just to diagnose the problem, estimated that the repair cost would be over $400 (while expressing uncertainty that it could be fixed), and made clear he had no interest in trying. Might as well just buy a new one, he said.

Many thanks to Bill Waite, organizer Wayne Seltzer, the Bldg 61 staff, all of the U-Fix-It volunteers and Boulder Public Library.

The next free clinic is set for May 21.

— Erin Brennan, Lafayette