A free e-book was recently released by the Russell Sage Foundation that takes a look at the long-term care system in the United States. The book examines both the current state of long-term care (including at nursing homes) as well as future needs. [1]
One chapter of the book examines the critical role played by the caregivers. This includes direct care workers at nursing homes, assisted living facilities, and at-home service providers. One of the main problems is the simple lack of caregivers that are available. Recruitment is sometimes difficult, particularly because wages are kept low. For the same reasons, turnover is high. That means that not only are there often an insufficient number of caretakers, but also it is quite common for lower-skilled caregivers in long term care settings to do work which they have neither been trained nor certified to do.
The most recent national data from the AHCA found that there was a turnover rate of 66% yearly on top of a 9.5% vacancy rate for nursing and direct line care workers in nursing homes. These issues need to be addressed. It is widely known that the senior population is growing, meaning that these challenges will get more severe in the coming years.
Levin & Perconti. “The Growing Importance of the Long-Term Care Workforce.” Illinois Nursing home Abuse Blog. 22 September 2012.
