Developing a Quality Workforce: Overview

Background

Government agencies, employers, workers and consumers often characterize the long-term care workforce as "in crisis." The direct care workforce is plagued by chronic staff shortages due to high turnover, difficulty attracting new employees, poor working conditions, low pay, insufficient (or no) benefits and inadequate preparation and training.

At the same time, the number of individuals needing care and those providing it are at odds. The population of older adults requiring long-term care is rapidly accelerating, yet the pool of individuals aged 25-54 who have traditionally provided long-term care is shrinking.

IFAS is focusing on:

• Explaining the causes of workforce problems and future trends.
• Collaborating with AAHSA members and other long-term care employers to identify and assess promising workforce development and improvement practices.
• Developing new demonstrations of innovative workforce development models.
• Disseminating the "lessons learned."

Accomplishments

Managed the national Better Jobs Better Care research and demonstration program. This $15.5 million program supports changes in long-term care policy and provider practice to improve the instability and chronic shortages of frontline workers. The program, which ran from 2002-2007, involved eight research grants and five state demonstrations and produced issue briefs and resources on the findings and lessons learned. Learn more.

Prepared a report to the National Commission for Quality Long-Term Care. The report lists the short- and long-term factors that contribute to workforce instability and chronic staffing shortages; Proposes a policy, practice and research agenda to move toward solutions. Learn more.

Created the Joan Anne McHugh Long-Term Care Nursing Academy to develop nurse leaders working in long-term care settings and strengthen their leadership and management knowledge and skills. Learn more.

Surveyed California's not-for-profit nursing homes to identify the magnitude of their direct care worker shortages, the perceived causes and employer solutions to improve recruitment and retention. Learn more.

Developed a measurement guide with Pennsylvania State University to help long-term care providers survey paraprofessional workers to understand their job perceptions and how they impact staff turnover and retention. Learn more.

Planned an invitational symposium, in collaboration with the U.S. Departments of Labor and Health & Human Services and the Lewin Group, to examine lessons learned from research and practice to develop the paraprofessional long-term care workforce, enhance its performance and reduce shortages. The symposium involved 140 leaders across the nation representing long-term care employers, worker groups, long-term care and workforce development policy officials, researchers and funders. Learn more.

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