An aging population, along with high turnover among care workers, could pose continuing challenges to the long-term care industry in the coming decade, according to a new report from the advocacy group PHI.
“When including jobs that must be filled when existing workers transfer to other occupations or exit the labor force, there will be a total of 7.4 million job openings in direct care from 2019 to 2029,” the researchers wrote.
“Because of low wages and other job quality concerns, employers are struggling to recruit and retain residential care aides — a challenge that intensified during the COVID-19 pandemic, given the risks faced by those living and working in congregate settings,” according to the report. The report also covered nursing aids and home health aides.
The number of nursing assistants in nursing homes declined from 616,600 in 2010 to 527,500 in 2020; 17% of nursing homes report a shortage of nursing assistants, according to the data. The median annual income for nursing assistants is $24,200; 34% rely on some form of public assistance, the authors said.
“Although demand for nursing homes is declining due to the rebalancing of services to home and community-based settings, a pressing need remains to recruit and retain enough nursing assistants to provide this care,” the researchers wrote.
There were 675,000 residential care aides working in assisted living communities, group homes and other residential care settings in the United States as of August, according to the report.
Wages for residential care aides are barely keeping pace with inflation, the authors said. Adjusted median hourly wages were $12.28 in 2010 and $13.45 in 2020. The median annual income for residential care aides is $22,200; 38% receive some form of public assistance.
“This trend means that residential care aides’ wages have only increased slightly faster than the costs of goods and services over the past decade,” the authors concluded.
