Barbara Johnson, Part 1, Transcript Section 8

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Barbara Johnson, Part 1
Transcript Section 8

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BARBARA: After we had what you call Health Aide in Crisis, it was Deborah Caldera was in charge of that with us, and all the health aides wrote to Washington D.C. and asked for more funding for training and for the health aides' pay, you know.

And for more health aides because there was only, like -- some of the communities just had one health aide.

And like us, we had just two in Angoon, and we were responsible for everything, you know. And we did it, though, you know, like we had -- we have to be on call like two weeks on and two weeks off.

KAREN: Wow.

BARBARA: Yeah. That's how we worked when I was in Angoon. And now after that, they got more funding from -- from Washington, you know, for training and for more health aides.

So now they have like four, you know, there's like two part time and two full time health aides. So that's a little better now.

KAREN: Yeah. Do you remember what year that was when everybody wrote letters?

BARBARA: Oh, gosh. That must have been -- I think I was still in Angoon then. That was like maybe 18, 19 years ago.

KAREN: Okay.

BARBARA: Uh-hum. Because I think I have been here like 20 years now.

KAREN: Well, you said 1988, right?

BARBARA: Yeah.

KAREN: Right. So almost 20 years. Yeah.

BARBARA: Uh-hum. Of course, they -- they did ask for funding and we got it. But now, we're so -- we're back in the same kind of situation.

KAREN: Right.

BARBARA: Because it seems like communities are just growing and we need more -- more health aides and the health aides need raises, you know, because of cost of living.