Magnifying glass on jobs/careers page.
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Seventy percent of assisted living providers responding to a newly released LeadingAge workforce poll said they still are experiencing a significant or severe workforce shortage.

The snap poll, completed Feb. 21 to March 13, elicited responses from 891 senior living and care providers. Participants represented assisted living, independent living, memory care, continuing care retirement/life plan communities, affordable senior housing, nursing homes, home health, hospice and Programs of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly.

Overall, 64% of all respondents said their workforce situations have not improved in the past year.

According to the overall poll results, it is not uncommon for 20% of positions within an organization to be open with no applicants. Participants said they are dipping deep into their reserves to cover staffing agency costs and that remaining staff members are carrying heavier workloads to make up for shortages.

The most difficult positions to fill are registered nurses (86%), licensed practical nurses (85%) and certified nursing assistants (85%). Respondents said that staff members are leaving for better pay (78%), better work schedules (53%) and burnout (73%). Those results mirror those from the last LeadingAge poll in June 2022

“With 1.7 jobs open for every person looking for a job in the country, and the many struggles that aging services providers face to attract those potential workers — it is indeed really scary right now for long-term care,” Ruth Katz, LeadingAge senior vice president of public policy / advocacy, wrote in a blog post

Recruitment and retention tactics were implemented by 70% of participants, who said they offered increased hourly wages (92%), sign-on bonuses (69%), creative scheduling (61%) and career advancement opportunities (56%). 

In trying to build a pipeline of potential workers, respondents reported minimal success — but strong interest — in tapping into immigrant and refugee talent pools. Twelve percent said they successfully had recruited foreign workers form the Philippines, Puerto Rico, Canada or other countries through work-based visas, and 5% said they had hired workers on refugee status.

Interest in foreign recruitment was high among participants, who said that better policy solutions are necessary to ease the path to immigration. Katz said a “robust, high-quality, person-centered care system” is essential.

“We will continue to raise our united voices to ensure policymakers get out of the way of ensuring there are enough motivated, well-trained workers to fill the jobs and deliver the care to all Americans in need,” Katz wrote.

A recent analysis of Bureau of Labor Statistics data by the National Investment Center for Senior Living & Care found that assisted living employment has returned to pre-pandemic levels. Assisted living has seen a faster recovery in employment than skilled nursing, where employment remains 14% shy of its pre-COVID level.

Ninety-two percent of nursing home providers responding to the LeadingAge poll reported a significant or severe workforce shortage.

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