Crucial shortages of frontline caregivers including home care aides and nurses are looming everywhere. Whether it is a child with complex medical needs, an individual with disabilities or an older American, the shortage of these workers impacts all Americans. As the baby-boom generation ages and the elderly population grows, the demand for the services of home and personal care aides will continue to increase. There is not only a shortage of workers entering the field, but many of those in the field are leaving for higher wages in industries like retail and fast food. Nearly half of all direct-care workers abandon the field each year. Older individuals, who benefit from having familiar caregivers attend them, sometimes experience dozens of caregiver changes during one year.
· Since March of 2020, providers have seen a 23% decrease in home care aides working for them, which led to a 28% increase in open shifts since before COVID. The pandemic has only made things worse, exposing the vulnerability of not only older individuals and people with disabilities, but also those who care for them.
· Providers of in-home care report having to turn down 50% of those seeking care due to a lack of staffing.
· Nearly half of all direct-care workers abandon the field each year.
· This hard-working, yet underpaid home care workforce disproportionately comprises women and people of color.
· The Build Back Better Plan currently being considered by lawmakers in Washington D.C. only skims the surface of America’s home care problem. The original goal of $400 billion in funding has been cut down to $150 billion which will not adequately address the current caregiving crisis.
· The caregiving workforce needs to increase by 8.2 million jobs to accommodate future needs.
These are sobering statistics. There is not a single community, town, city, county, or state that is shielded from this problem. Covenant Caregivers is working tirelessly to lessen the effects of the caregiver shortage on our clients, families, and staff.
For more information or to see how you can help, visit www.homecareaction.com.