May 1, 2024 Washington, DC — At the start of Older Americans Month, themed “Powered by Connection,” LeadingAge, the association of nonprofit, mission-driven providers of aging services, amplifies its call for the Biden administration and Congress to provide urgently needed support for the aging services workforce and to take action on policies that will help increase the number of trained professional caregivers to serve America’s rapidly growing older population. Professional caregivers are vital to ensuring millions of older adults’ well-being and connection to their communities and their loved ones.

“Connections are indeed critical for older adults, and this year’s Older Americans Month theme is a perfect opportunity to underscore the importance of the aging services workforce in helping older adults maintain strong bonds—with their loved ones and within their communities,” said Katie Smith Sloan, LeadingAge president and CEO. “More staff is needed in nursing homes, in home health care, and other long-term care settings. From streamlining care worker immigration pipelines to expanding learning and pathway opportunities, there’s much to be done. Workforce is simply a critical issue. Without staff, there is no care—the care that powers connections.”  

During Older Americans Month 2024, the Administration for Community Living seeks to highlight the detrimental effects of loneliness and social isolation, which amount to a serious global health concern that is harmful to older adults’ health and well-being and leads to increases in serious diseases and even premature death, according to U.S. Surgeon General Vivek H. Murthy, MD, MBA. Across the aging services continuum—including home-based care and services, adult day programs, nursing homes, and independent and assisted living communities—aging services providers excel at creating relationships and connections to help older adults thrive as they age.

Over the coming weeks, LeadingAge members and our national network of 36 State Partners will deliver a unified message about aging services providers’ expertise in building connections and relationships with and among older adults. Provider members will access template communications, social media text and graphics, and suggested weekly themes from the Older Americans Month toolkit that LeadingAge created for its members.

In addition, LeadingAge asks people nationwide during May to urge their federal elected officials to fully fund and support programs that deliver high-quality care and services to older adults—wherever they call home. Members of the public can easily send messages through the LeadingAge Action Center. 

LeadingAge policy experts will continue their push on numerous legislative priorities on various areas and issues to build the aging services workforce including: 

• Immigration. Congress should pass legislation that addresses critical gaps in the U.S. immigration system, including significantly increasing caps on employment-based visa programs, prioritizing nurses and caregiving professionals.
• Correct Mismatched Reimbursement Mechanisms. Congress should pass legislation to stop proposed payment cuts and address inadequate reimbursement mechanisms. 
• Education and Training. Congress should pass pending legislation to expand the nurse educator workforce 
• Discordant Federal and State Training Requirements. Congress should consider developing and streamlining federal training requirements for direct care professionals and nurses.
• Supported Pathways and Services. In addition to the targeted federal medical assistance percentage (FMAP) increase, we urge Congress to increase reimbursement to allow providers to respond to the unique needs of their workforce. This should include providing support services and emergency assistance to staff, on an as needed basis, to increase recruitment and retention. To address shortages across the aging services continuum, we encourage Congress to pass the Supporting Our Direct Care Workforce and Family Caregivers Act (S. 1298).
• Limited Clinical Training Sites. Congress should enact the bipartisan Ensuring Seniors’ Access to Quality Care Act that would eliminate the rigid provisions found in the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1987 (OBRA) and grant the Centers for Medicare and Medicare Services (CMS) greater flexibility in reinstating valuable CNA training programs.