Can we fix the home health sector with better recruitment and training?
PHI, a national research organization that serves as a leading expert on the health direct-care workforce, has teamed up with several Wisconsin providers to transform the quality of home healthcare in the state.
During the two-year project, the organization is working with Community Living Alliance and Lori Knapp Companies to create new training and professional development programs for the state’s home healthcare workers. The initiative to elevate the role of the aide includes retooled recruitment and retention strategies, enhanced entry-level training, coaching/mentoring programs and advancement pathways.
“Wisconsin is facing what many other states are facing—a surge in the number of older residents without a sufficient or stable workforce to support them,” noted PHI President Jodi Sturgeon in a press release.
The pilot program is a response to the longstanding challenge of the home care workforce sector, which faces low wages, minimal training and turnover rates approaching 60% nationally. It’s also a test bed for states that need to grow their home care workforces amid the surging demand. Like many states, Wisconsin is expected to need 20,000 more home care workers in just the next five years.
