Despite surging demand for long-term care, providers struggle to find workers
By JOSH KELETY/AP and ERIC SCICCHITANO/CNHI NEWS
Despite growing demand for long-term care, the industry struggles with labor shortages, and experts worry about whether there will be enough workers in the future to care for America’s aging population. Reporting from The Associated Press and CNHI News found the country’s direct care workforce is predominantly made up of women and people of color, and they face low pay, the risk of injury and other challenges. These issues contribute to recruitment and retention problems. Experts point to insufficient Medicaid funding as one of the factors that have kept worker wages low.