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NEVADA VIEWS: Home care workers need more support

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NEVADA VIEWS: Home care workers need more support


I used to be born with cerebral palsy, and since my teenagers I’ve relied on residence care employees for all my each day actions. It’s not an exaggeration to say I wouldn’t have the ability to survive with out my residence care employee, Darlene. However her work goes past simply caring for my physiological wants. She empowers me to dwell a full lifetime of which means, creativity and pleasure.

Though Darlene’s work is completely important, she’s paid solely round $12 an hour, and most of our state’s 13,000 residence care employees make even much less. These poverty wages have created an excessive scarcity of employees, and households more and more can’t discover the companies they want.

That’s why seniors and other people with disabilities are elevating the alarm that our state and nationwide elected leaders want to unravel this disaster.

Nevada has acquired thousands and thousands in non permanent federal funding from the American Rescue Plan, and we should instantly put guidelines in place so these sources really get to frontline employees. And transferring ahead, we have to guarantee there’s a lot better everlasting funding in residence care companies.

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Darlene, who has been a house care employee for 33 years, is all the pieces to me. She’s there for me after I get up within the morning and helps me bathe, costume, get into my electrical wheelchair and eat breakfast. At night time, she feeds me dinner and will get me into mattress. She has comparable duties for 5 different shoppers, and infrequently works from 5 a.m. to midnight so as to make ends meet.

All through my life, this basic help from residence care employees has allowed me to thrive and pursue my ardour of musical theater. I’ve acted in and directed greater than a dozen musicals, and I’m additionally within the technique of getting a grasp’s diploma within the area.

So it makes me outraged that residence care employees — who’re majority ladies and disproportionately folks of shade — are exploited and shamefully undervalued for his or her very important roles.

There are presently greater than half 1,000,000 retirement-age Nevadans, and so they’re anticipated to make up 20 p.c of the state’s inhabitants by 2030. This has led to a quickly rising demand for companies, simply as poverty wages have pushed employees out of the occupation. In a latest survey, 75 p.c of residence care employees stated they might have to depart the sector as a result of the pay is just too low.

This disaster can appear overwhelming, however there are concrete options at hand. On the state degree, Gov. Steve Sisolak and the Division of Well being and Human Companies listened to our issues and not too long ago supplied $500 supplemental funds to residence care employees.

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Purchasers and employees have additionally been taking part within the new Dwelling Care Employment Requirements Board, and there are essential steps this board should take instantly. Most urgently, there needs to be accountability and clear insurance policies in order that the $127 million in American Rescue Plan funding goes to employees, not simply company house owners. As well as, the board must ensure that employees don’t need to pay out of pocket for job-related bills and that shoppers get the total variety of service hours mandatory for our care.

As a result of the American Rescue Plan funding is non permanent, we additionally want secure help to create a sustainable residence care system over the long run. To that finish, President Joe Biden has proposed a crucial and everlasting funding in Medicaid residence and community-based companies. His proposal would assist present elevated wages and advantages, broaden coaching alternatives and provides employees a greater alternative to type a union to allow them to advocate for themselves and their shoppers. Nevada Sens. Catherine Cortez Masto and Jacky Rosen help the plan.

For seniors and other people with disabilities, this can be a matter of life and demise. We couldn’t exist with out our residence care employees. Elected officers should spend money on employees to acknowledge their sacrifices and recruit and retain the workforce we’d like.

Evan Gadda is a house care shopper, an actor and director of musical theater. He writes from Reno.

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Nevada

LETTER: Let’s consider how much growth Southern Nevada can accomodate

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LETTER: Let’s consider how much growth Southern Nevada can accomodate


Neither of the authors of “Homesteading 2.0” (Dec. 15 Review-Journal) lives in Nevada. Yet, they believe they are qualified to advocate for increased development of our public lands.

To date, much new development has focused on luxury housing and green energy projects, rather than the need for affordable housing. While the authors acknowledge our successful conservation efforts, they fail to mention that current residents are being heavily regulated by the water authority, facing penalties, and pressured to reduce water usage. Lawns are being replaced with desert landscaping, and ongoing development to accommodate growth is contributing to the urban heat island effect. This growth has led to more congested roadways, wildlife encroaching into urban areas due to habitat loss and reduced access to recreational spaces that residents once enjoyed.

One of the defining features of Las Vegas was the open space surrounding the valley, which has long been a unique advantage of living in the Southwest. We must carefully consider how much growth we are willing to support moving forward.

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Nevada City’s 9th Annual Public Menorah Lighting heading indoors due to Thursday rain forecast

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Nevada City’s 9th Annual Public Menorah Lighting heading indoors due to Thursday rain forecast


Due to rainy weather forecast, the Annual Menorah Lighting in Nevada City has been moved indoors to The Miners Foundry (325 Spring St, Nevada City). Co-sponsored by Chabad of Grass Valley and The Miners Foundry, this special and FREE Chanukah celebration will take place on Thursday, December 26, at 4:00 p.m., and the public is invited to join the fun.

This year, for the first time ever, the event will feature the lighting of a 12-foot illuminated menorah, the largest and brightest in Nevada County. The menorah lighting promises to be an inspiring and memorable moment, bringing the community and our elected officials together to celebrate the message of Chanukah.



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Nevada County Properties | Recreation Realty, Inc. returns to historic Highway 20 location in newly expanded community hub

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Nevada County Properties | Recreation Realty, Inc. returns to historic Highway 20 location in newly expanded community hub


Celebrating 50 years in business, Nevada County Properties | Recreation Realty, Inc. is thrilled to announce the consolidation of their two offices, Broad Street Nevada City and Hwy 20 at Harmony Ridge to its original home on Highway 20, Nevada City, at Harmony Ridge, this December! This move not only brings the company “back to its roots” but also provides the community with a newly expanded and renovated hub for convenience and connection.

The updated building is now home to three unique businesses: Nevada County Properties | Recreation Realty, Inc., Tour of Nevada City Bicycle Shop Outpost, and Harmony Ridge Market, offering residents and visitors a one-stop destination for real estate inquiries, outdoor recreation needs, and a local deli and convenience store all at the entrance to the popular Scotts Flat Lake recreation destination.



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