Labor is by far the top and most pressing issue on everyone’s minds, and assisted living is not exempt from the crisis. The numbers reinforce the urgency of addressing this issue in 2022:
- Assisted living experienced an 8.2% loss of jobs as of October 2021.
- 77% of assisted living providers say their workforce situation has deteriorated in recent months.
- 61% of assisted living communities are worried that workforce challenges may force them to close.
- While many long-term care providers (including assisted living) have used agency staff to supplement their teams, the high price these agencies charge have cut into budgets, causing shortfalls and making it harder to find money to hire and keep full-time employees.
“We cannot resolve this issue on our own. We need immediate assistance from public health officials, but we also need a more long-term solution from policymakers,” says National Center for Assisted Living executive director LaShuan Bethea.
