ARGENTUM ADVOCATES
Ongoing Support from Washington Needed to Solve the Caregiver Crisis
By Dan Samson T
here simply aren’t enough caregivers to meet the needs of our seniors. This was true before the pandemic
and has only been exacerbated over the past two-plus years. There are now 100,000 fewer workers in
senior living communities than there were before the pandemic, and fewer workers overall than since May of 2015. The shortage of caregivers is affecting
providers everywhere and there aren’t quick and easy solutions to fix it. But we, as a nation, must find a solution
to the caregiver crisis. Not only to address the shortage of workers presently, but to prepare for the caregiving needs of our rapidly aging society. Every day, 10,000 Americans turn age
70 and estimates are that up to 70% will need some form of care in their lifetimes. Critically, those most in need of care – Americans ages 75 and older – will grow by another 12 million by the end of this decade, and by 2040 there will be 44 mil- lion Americans age 75-plus. There simply aren’t enough caregivers today to meet the demands of tomorrow. This is why Argentum has made address-
ing the workforce crisis its top priority and is working with leading policymakers on Cap- itol Hill, the Administration, and in state houses across the country to find solutions. It’s clear that there is no panacea. It will
take an across-the-board approach, combin- ing efforts to grow our workforce from with- in and reaching new potential workers to begin their careers in senior living, including through immigration, apprenticeships, and career education. Argentum jumpstarted efforts earlier this year with the introduction of the SENIOR
Act, which proposes spending more than a billion dollars in new workforce develop- ment grants specifically intended for senior living providers. Argentum has also worked with a broad
coalition of industry groups and lawmakers from both parties on legislation to extend and expand programs that have proven track records in recruiting and retaining workers. This includes programs like the Workforce Opportunity Tax Credit, Essen- tial Workers for Economic Advancement, and efforts to restore the Employee Reten- tion Tax Credit. Our efforts to advance federal workforce
legislation are augmented by our work with regulators to strengthen existing programs, such as the Health Careers Opportunity Program, Geriatrics Workforce Enhance- ment Programs, and the National Health Service Corps. Federal workforce programs received a major boost recently with the announce- ment of more than $40 billion allocated from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), including for a new 3,000-member Public Health AmeriCorps program, some of whom will train to work in assisted living, memory care, and similar settings. Argentum’s State Partners have already
secured millions of dollars from ARPA’s $195 billion fund for states, which was es- tablished to support COVID-19 mitigation efforts and “industries hardest hit by the crisis.”
In Arizona, funds are being used to help
eligible providers increase salaries, wages, stipends, bonuses, and hiring/retention incentives. Similarly, in Minnesota grants are provided to recruit, train, and deploy at least 1,000 new certified nursing assistants
48 SENIOR LIVING EXECUTIVE SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2022
for Minnesota long-term care facilities ex- periencing staffing shortages. And millions of dollars in new grants were established for providers in Texas to address critical staffing needs among assisted living communities, home health agencies, community atten- dants, and other facilities. Argentum’s Public Policy Committee
has also been in the process of developing the short-term and long-term priorities to address the workforce needs of the industry. These would build on existing programs at HRSA and the Department of Labor, establishing immigration reforms, empow- ering states to invest in workforce programs such as high school, community college, and university training, and building on the promise of apprenticeships. On apprenticeships, Argentum is proud
to be leading a $6 million Healthcare Ap- prenticeship Expansion Program, or HAEP. These grants offer reimbursement of up to 50% of apprenticeship wages and 50% reimbursement of training costs for eligible owners or operators of senior living com- munities and is intended to address the skills gap in healthcare and health IT positions by expanding apprenticeships for positions like CNAs, LPNs, RNs, and rehab technicians. We know there is much more work to be
done to meet the shortages across not only frontline caregivers, but in nearly every role within our industry. But we are encouraged by the progress being made every day: in Congress, in federal agencies, throughout the states, and in communities across the country. Together, by making our voices heard, we can meet the needs not only of today, but for the caregiving needs of our seniors in the years to come.
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