As the pandemic eases and senior care moves into the “new normal,” the industry is facing challenges ranging from workforce shortages and residents’ mental health issue to high property insurance rates. This is according to a new LeadingAge survey. Among other findings:
- 71% of provider respondents say that staffing levels remain their top concern . This is up from 20% in December.
- Providers report an increasing number of confirmed COVID-19 cases among staff. They also are seeing low morale and personal circumstances affecting productivity.
- More than 30% of respondents say it takes longer than five months to fill a service coordinator position. HUD-approved budgets and low salaries are the top barriers to filling these positions.
- 84% of respondents say they have vacancy rates below 4%, up from 75% in December. They report an average waitlist of 1-5 years or more.
- 41% say they currently have no known cases of COVID among their residents, up from 29% in December.
- 62% say they have a COVID vaccine mandate or a vaccination/regular testing requirement for staff. Only 2% say they’re still undecided about whether to implement such a policy.
