A panel of experts has laid it on the line for employers: invest in your direct care workforce now. Among their insights:
- Programs that lift workers out of poverty are key to improving the quality and number of direct care employees. However, it also is important to invest in workforce innovations that address issues beyond compensation.
- Some government help may be on the way. The American Rescue plan Act of 2021 includes a 10% federal medical assistance increase for Medicaid home and community-based services that states can use for direct care worker recruitment and training. The Build Back Better Act contains funding that increases support for direct care workers in the aging services industries, including funding for grants to recruit, train, and retain direct care workers.
- Some states are putting money behind workforce development. For instance, Tennessee is projecting to spend almost $200 million in this area.
- Partnership are giving efforts strength in numbers. For instance, the Maine Council on Aging has created an alliance with advocates across all settings to support workers in home, community, and residential care settings.
There is an urgency to these efforts, as the direct care workforce needs to add 1.3 million new jobs by 2029 to meet the demands of a growing older adult population.
