POST-ACUTE
Staffing: Post-Acute Care’s Pain Point Low wages, demographics add up to post-acute staffing shortages
A recently released report points to a crisis in the direct care workforce, that
Some facts from the report:
ʯ Nearly 20 million adults in the
is, nursing assistants, home care workers and residential care aides.
United States require assistance completing self-care and other Long-term-care employers are strug-
36
York-based advocacy firm PHI.
daily tasks due to physical,
gling to recruit and retain enough workers
Meanwhile, consumers are struggling
cognitive, developmental, and/
to fill vacant positions, while existing work-
to access the care they need, piecing
or behavioral conditions. This
ers are shouldering the burden of growing
together support from family and friends;
number includes about 17 million
demand without enough resources or sup-
waiting months or even years to receive
individuals living in the community,
port, according to the report, “It’s Time
formal services; moving into nursing
1.5 million residing in nursing
to Care: A Detailed Profile of America’s
homes sooner than necessary; or simply
homes, and nearly 1 million in
Direct Care Workforce,” by Bronx, New
going without.
residential care.
April 2020 | The Journal of Healthcare Contracting
