"Building and Strengthening the
Direct Care Workforce"
​IMPART Alliance is a coalition of researchers, Direct Care Workers (DCWs), clients, and agencies working together to develop a competent home care workforce, improve the lives of DCWs and the clients they serve, and be a model for the nation. ​
Direct Care Worker stories captured in "Critical Lifelines":
The IMPART Alliance Team has interviewed and photographed 31 DCWs from across Michigan with the goal of recording and sharing their stories.  Hear in their own words what keeps these DCWs in a career characterized by hard and often unrecognized and under-appreciated work.


"Professional Direct Care Workers: Critical Lifelines with Heart"
Professional Direct Care Workers (DCWs) describe the importance of their services and their daily impact on clients' lives.
Join the IMPART Alliance Direct Care Worker Directory!

As a Direct Care Worker, are you:
  • Feeling isolated or forgotten as if no one cares about you or the essential work you are doing? 
  • Would you like more support?
  • Would you like to get information about things like new state guidelines, a new Professional Association for Direct Care Workers, opportunities for training, and ways to connect with other DCWs?

If you answered yes to any of these questions, consider joining the IMPART Alliance Direct Care Worker Directory! COVID-19 has made it clearer than ever that we need better ways to reach other and be heard to improve our jobs and lives as direct care workers.  Please help us help you by doing just two simple things:

1.  Add your name to the new confidential IMPART Alliance Direct Care Worker Directory by completing a super short survey [just 6 questions].   Your contact info will automatically be entered into a secure, confidential database. Your name will never be shared without your permission.
2. Spread the word! Tell all your friends who are Direct Care Workers to join by adding their names to the directory!
Join the IMPART Alliance Direct Care Workers Forum!
This Facebook group is for Direct Care Workers to share information, ideas, support & encouragement about providing supports & services in the home environment. 
Direct Care Worker Training Reduces Turnover Costs and Can Increase Wages:
  • In 2018, the median turnover rate among Home Care Aides and Personal Care Aides was 82%; a 15% increase from 2017.(1)
  • Turnover costs about $2,600 per caregiver; an average of $171,600 per agency per year.(2)
  • Training increases job satisfaction which decreases turnover.(3) Training also decreases costly client outcomes like falls and emergency department visits.(4)
Building Training...Building Quality(TM) (BTBQTM) is a comprehensive, person-centered training program that provides Direct Care Workers (DCWs) with the skills needed to deliver in-home, high quality supports & services. 
  • Investing in BTBQ(TM) training for 8 DCWs at approximately $4,000 with an  in-house trainer can lead to a 5% reduction in turnover rate for a turnover savings of $8,580 (a $4,520 net savings).
For more details, download the latest FREE factsheet from IMPART Alliance:

"Personal Care Aide Training Reduces Turnover Costs and Can Increase Wages"
Building Capacity to Train DCWs across Michigan:
IMPART Alliance has 23 trainers across Michigan teaching DCWs person centered supports and services skills using the BTBQ(TM) curriculum.   Our next targeted area for trainer development: the U.P. and Southeast Michigan!

      Join the IMPART Alliance Coalition! 
Work together for solutions to developing a competent home care workforce, improve the lives of DCWs and the elders they serve.
1Holly, R. (2019). Home care industry turnover reaches all-time high of 82%. Home Health Care News. Retrieved from https://homehealthcarenews.com/2019/05/home-care-industry-turnover-reaches-all-time-high-of-82/ 2Kempton, M. (2018) How much is caregiver turnover really costing our business? Home Care Pulse. Retrieved from https://www.homecarepulse.com/articles/much-caregiver-turnover-really-costing-business/
3 Leon J, Marainen J, Marcotte J. (2001) Pennsylvania’s Frontline Workers in Long Term Care: The Provider Organization Perspective. Pennsylvania Intra-Governmental Council Long Term Care. Retrieved from  https://www.aging.pa.gov/organization/PennsylvaniaLongTermCareCouncil/Documents/Reports/PennsylvaniaIntraGovernmentalCouncilOnLTC/ PennsylvaniaFrontlineWorkersinLongTermCareTheProviderOrganizationPerspectiveFeb2001.pdf
4 Luz, C. C., Hanson, K. V., Hao, Y., & Spurgeon, E. (2018). Improving Patient Experiences and Outcomes Through Personal Care Aide Training. Journal of patient experience, 5(1), 56–62. doi:10.1177/2374373517724349