State lawmakers in Pennsylvania have promised to advance a package of bills that would address workforce challenges among senior living and other long-term care providers in the Keystone State.
State Sens. Dave Argall (R-Schuylkill) and Michele Brooks (R-Jamestown) circulated a co-sponsorship memo last week announcing their intention to introduce a series of legislative initiatives aimed at modernizing certified nurse assistant training, providing high school credit for congregate care setting work, and allowing a skills competency examination in lieu of a high school diploma or General Educational Development test result. The initiatives were identified in collaboration with the Pennsylvania Health Care Association.
Argall chairs the state Senate Education Committee, and Brooks chairs the state Senate Health and Human Services Committee.
Pennsylvania ranks fifth among all other states as far as the number of residents aged 80 or more years. By 2040, that population will almost double, but the PHCA said that not enough caregivers exist to care for them. The Pennsylvania Independent Fiscal Office further reported that residential care facilities and nursing homes in Pennsylvania lost 14% of their workforce between December 2019 and December 2022.
“Without caregivers, Pennsylvania will be unable to meet the demand to provide care for our most vulnerable and fastest growing demographic,” PHCA President and CEO Zach Shamberg said in a statement. “In an effort to overcome some of our sector’s workforce challenges, Sen. Argall has stepped up to help deliver solutions that will break down barriers that restrict the hiring of caregivers.”
Before providers can recruit new workers, Shamberg added, the state must improve its licensure and certification processes.
The planned legislative initiatives cover three areas:
- Changing CNA training by establishing a uniform, state-wide training program and allowing nurse graduates and students to take the CNA certification exam without completing the nurse aide training program.
- Identifying and recruiting the next generation of workers by allowing high school juniors and seniors to earn up to two credits toward graduation requirements through employment in assisted living residences, personal care homes and nursing homes.
- Requiring the state Department of Human Services to offer a skills competency examination for individuals without a high school diploma or GED who want to work in a senior living community.
“We must take action now to encourage more people to pursue careers in long-term care so that all of our families can receive quality care in the future,” Argall said in a statement.
