A public awareness campaign in Ohio is hoping to change the narrative around the long-term care field, generate career pathways, highlight real stories and experiences, and support policy priorities that benefit older adults and their caregivers.
LeadingAge Ohio recently launched Gateways to Care, which features a website that includes links to job boards, data on Ohio’s aging landscape, policy ideas, stories from frontline caregivers, and the latest news from the sector. The nonprofit represents more than 400 senior housing, skilled nursing, home- and community-based services, hospice and adult day providers serving 400,000 older adults.
A 2021 report that measured the economic impact of LeadingAge Ohio members on state and local economies, “The Market Needs and Economic Impact of LeadingAge Ohio Members,” found that the aging services sector represented $3.7 billion of the Buckeye State’s economy. Senior living communities alone in the state registered a $1.89 billion effect.
That impact is only expected to increase, as the number of older Ohioans is projected to more than double by 2030. With one in five state residents being aged 65 or more years in the coming decade, an urgent need exists to prioritize careers in aging services, according to the association. LeadingAge Ohio is framing the opportunities and growth in the aging services workforce around their offering flexibility, advancement and personal fulfillment.
The market needs report showed that by 2040, 44% more frontline, medical and social support personnel in senior living communities will be necessary to maintain current staffing levels. Ohio’s top three in-demand jobs are home health aides, personal care aides and registered nurses.
“Positions in aging services regularly place in the top three most in-demand jobs in the state, and despite perceptions exacerbated by COVID-19, continue to offer rewarding career pathways for Ohioans of all qualification levels,” said Susan Wallace, LeadingAge Ohio president and CEO. “LeadingAge Ohio is doing all we can to get the word out about the great jobs in this growing field, which represents a large sector of Ohio’s economy.”
Allison Salopeck, LeadingAge Ohio board chair and president/CEO of Jennings in the Cleveland suburb of Garfield Heights, OH, said that a barrier to entry into the sector is the “antiquated perception of aging services,” as well as the effect of ageism in the nation’s culture. The Gateways to Care campaign, she said, will highlight inspirational stories that take place daily within communities.
The first round of digital and traditional advertising will run six to nine months and focus on career and technical centers, colleges and universities, and other educational institutions in all corners of the state to help bridge the gap between those interested in healthcare fields to careers in aging services.
As the state’s legislative budget cycle ramps up, digital ads will target lawmakers and members of the public, providing education on the sector and suggested policy initiatives that would benefit older adults.
According to a 2021 “Blueprint for an Aging Ohio” report by LeadingAge Ohio, operating revenues for assisted living communities in the state decreased by 13.35% from 2020 to 2021, and labor costs increased 15.24%.
That report calls for key investments to help stabilize the sector and provide avenues for future growth, including providing adequate Medicaid reimbursement, promoting caregiving careers, expanding workforce-optimizing care models, finding alternative funding sources to bolster the workforce pipeline, and advocating for technology investments.
The Gateways to Care campaign is funded by the LeadingAge Ohio Foundation.
