Developing a Quality Workforce: Projects Archives

Better Jobs Better Care Design Study

IFAS established a partnership with the Paraprofessional Healthcare Institute to take the initial design steps to field a national research and demonstration initiative on the paraprofessional long-term care workforce and create a framework to secure multi-year, significant support from both government and health-related private foundations.

Funders: U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning & Evaluation and the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation
Partners: Paraprofessional Healthcare Institute

National Initiative on Paraprofessional Long-Term Care Workers

IFAS and the Paraprofessional Health Care Institute (PHI) collaborated to develop and implement a national initiative to address the shortage of high-quality and committed frontline workers in long-term care. The initiative:

• Completed the preliminary design for a national long-term care workforce demonstration program. The demonstration was subsequently implemented as Better Jobs Better Care.
• Designed a national clearinghouse on the paraprofessional long-term care workforce and assembled a database of practice-based innovations to address recruitment and retention issues. PHI implemented the clearinghouse.
• Completed a study identifying federal workforce development programs that long-term care employers could use to help recruit and train new workers.
• Prepared a paper and journal articles highlighting the role of workforce development in improving long-term care quality.
• Prepared a paper outlining empirical approaches to modeling the supply of and demand for long-term care workers and the potential impact of wage adjustments in resolving workforce shortages

Funder: U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning & Evaluation and U.S. Department of Labor
Partners: Paraprofessional Healthcare Institute and Urban Institute

Long-Term Care Workforce Measurement Guide and Recent Findings on Long-Term Care Workers: A Research Synthesis 1999-2003

IFAS developed a guide to help long-term care organizations improve their use of measurement tools to understand direct care workforce problems and devise solutions.

The guide offers a collection of instruments that quantify different ways to look at worker outcomes and experiences. Long-term care providers and researchers can use these instruments to assess how employees feel and think about their jobs and their employer and whether they stay or leave their jobs. The instruments measure 12 topics of greatest relevance to direct care workers, including job satisfaction, empowerment and culture.

The research synthesis discusses the significance of research findings on the frontline long-term care workforce since 1999. It builds on Dr. Robyn Stone's review (2001) of the practice and policy research related to recruitment and retention of frontline workers in long-term care.

Funders: U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning & Evaluation and U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Policy
Parnters: The University of Pennsylvania

Developing the Long-Term Care Frontline Workforce: Lessons Learned-Promising Directions

IFAS designed and convened an invitational symposium (PDF LINK) on long-term care workforce issues. The symposium focused on what can be learned from research and practice to develop this workforce and enhance its performance.

Four themes were highlighted:

• The relationship between the performance of the paraprofessional long-term care workforce and the quality of care and quality of life of long-term care recipients.
• The growing role of paraprofessional health care jobs as entry-level tools for individual mobility, economic opportunity and community development.
• The potential of workforce development policies and practices to reduce vacancy and turnover rates among direct care workers and improve job performance.
• The value of building alliances and stakeholder collaboration to solve workforce shortages.

The symposium promoted networking among the invitees, reflected on what has been learned and directions for the future and facilitated new partnerships between practitioners, policy makers, researchers and funders.

Funder: U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning & Evaluation
Partner: Paraprofessional Healthcare Institute

An Examination and Evaluation of Recruitment and Retention Practices in California's Not-For-Profit Long-Term Care Industry

IFAS collaborated with Aging Services of California (formerly known as The California Association of Homes and Services for the Aging) to examine the magnitude of turnover and paraprofessional workforce shortages among nonprofit nursing homes and other residential care facilities in California. The project also identified recruitment and retention strategies that facility staff perceived to be effective.

The study involved the creation of an expert panel, design and implementation of a survey of CAHSA members, focus groups, analysis and synthesis of project data, development of case studies of innovative homes and development of a typology of "best practices."

Funders: The California Endowment and the California HealthCare Foundation
Partner: Aging Services of California

Frontline Workers in Long-Term Care

The purpose of this project was to heighten awareness of federal, state and local policymakers, long-term care providers, consumers, unions, other stakeholders, and foundations about issues related to recruiting and retaining a committed qualified paraprofessional long-term care workforce. The project assessed the magnitude of the current labor shortage crisis; identified the policy levers that may affect the nature and size of the workforce; identified successful training, recruitment, and retention models; analyzed policy options; identified data gaps; and developed a research and demonstration strategy that the government, foundations, and the private sector could undertake to improve policymaking and practice in this arena. Deliverables included an overview document, briefing papers, and a final report with recommendations for a research and demonstration strategy and next steps for implementation.

Funders: The Urban Institute.