Workforce challenges threaten to complicate service delivery for Program for All Inclusive-Care for the Elderly participants, according to the results of the second and final Altarum PACE Pandemic Response survey, released Monday.
Ninety-two PACE directors responded to the most recent survey, representing approximately three-fourths of PACE sites nationwide.
“Similar to other healthcare employers, PACE centers have responded with various strategies to stabilize their workforces and mitigate the effects of workforce shortages, but the long-term impact of these efforts remains largely unknown,” the nonprofit research and consulting organization said.
Almost all of the respondents (97%) said that they are concerned about filling positions and about staff turnover rates. The greatest level of concern came from those looking to hire home care staff and registered nurses, followed by those looking to fill positions for drivers and center-based personal care staff.
Other healthcare employers are experiencing workforce challenges, but PACE sites have recruitment and retention advantages over them, Altarum said.
“Research and reports from the field indicate that personal care staff in PACE sites have higher job satisfaction, a greater sense of teamwork and feel more valued for their opinions than direct care workers in other settings,” according to the organization.
PACE directors also have had more flexibility in spending their Medicare and Medicaid-funded capitated reimbursement rates than non-PACE directors, which has allowed them to invest in workforce mitigation strategies such as wage raises, benefits, retention bonuses and other financial incentives, Altarum said.
“In sum, despite their current challenges, PACE programs are well-positioned to stabilize their workforce and continue delivering high-quality care,” the report concluded. “The Altarum PACE Pandemic Response Survey results have demonstrated the remarkable ways PACE programs adapted services for participants during the COVID-19 pandemic, and the diversity of strategies they have already adopted to address workforce shortages.”
Read more McKnight’s Business Daily articles here.
