Presidential Candidate John Edwards Works Early Shift at Suburban New York Nursing Home

04-11-2007 1:22 PM
By BETH FOUHY, Associated Press Writer

MAMARONECK, N.Y. (Associated Press) -- Democrat John Edwards got a taste of low-wage life Wednesday, rising before dawn to help to dress, shave and deliver breakfast to elderly residents of a nursing home outside New York City.

His visit was part of the "Work a Day in My Shoes" program sponsored by the influential Service Employees International Union, where presidential candidates spend time with health care workers to understand the challenges of their jobs. Edwards was paired with certified nursing assistant Elaine Ellis, an 18-year employee of the Sarah Neuman Nursing Home who escorted him on her early morning rounds.

Democratic Presidential hopeful John Edwards responds to a question during a campaign town hall meeting in Davenport, Iowa, Wednesday, April 4, 2007. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)

Ellis, a divorced mother who raised four children on her nursing assistant's salary, called Edwards "a very personable person" and praised his willingness to spend time on the job with her.

"I think all politicians should take a page from his book," she told reporters.

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