March 23, 2023 Washington, DC — In an unprecedented time of workforce crisis across the aging services sector – particularly in nursing homes, home health, and hospice agencies – LeadingAge, the association of nonprofit, mission-driven providers of aging services, joins other aging services organizations in recognizing Careers in Aging Week (CIAW), focused on the breadth of rewarding professional opportunities in a field facing increased consumer demand. 

On the occasion of CIAW (March 26-April 1, 2023), which has long been a celebration, LeadingAge reiterates the caregiving crisis our country is facing. Chronic neglect and underfunding of critical services and supports needed to ensure older adults’ health and well-being, coupled with an overreliance on spouses, adult children, and other unpaid caregivers, puts America’s older adults and their families in a terrible bind, with many unable to access care.  

Results of LeadingAge’s most recent informal, “snap” member poll reveal the staffing crisis remains dire for most members. “We have closed wings/neighborhoods due to staffing to avoid agency usage, both in personal care and skilled nursing. Also in home care, we have limited the number of clients we can serve due to insufficient staffing to meet the needs,” shared one member. In fact, 64% of respondents say that their workforce situation has not improved since June 2022, when the association last queried members to gain deeper insight into the severity of the issue.

“This week is our opportunity to highlight our sector’s pivotal role and to underscore the need for support. Unlike retail or other business sectors, aging services providers cannot raise their prices, which is why appropriate financing is critical,” says Katie Smith Sloan, president and CEO, LeadingAge, the association of nonprofit providers of aging services. “Providers are reliant on Medicare and Medicaid dollars. If Congress and our elected officials care about older Americans receiving the high-quality care we all deserve, they must pay attention and take action.”

Sloan adds, “How our nation supports the system and professional caregivers who care for older adults is a reflection of our values. We look forward to working with lawmakers to secure sufficient investments to make a livable wage for direct care workers a reality and to fully support the long-term care workforce.” 

Meantime, during CIAW and after, providers across the sector can access a host of resources at careersinaging.com; materials designed especially for LeadingAge members, including a Finding Your Path in Aging Services recruitment video, a high school student presentation template, and more are here.

We represent more than 5,000 nonprofit aging services providers and other mission-minded organizations that touch millions of lives every day. Alongside our members and 38 state partners, we use applied research, advocacy, education, and community-building to make America a better place to grow old. Our membership, which now includes the providers of the Visiting Nurse Associations of America, encompasses the continuum of services for people as they age, including those with disabilities. We bring together the most inventive minds in the field to lead and innovate solutions that support older adults wherever they call home. For more information visit leadingage.org.