When frontline health care workers are mentioned in the media today, it’s often in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. From burnout to vaccine hesitancy, the list of challenges faced by long-term-care providers has expanded exponentially in the last two years.
The reality, though, is the caregiver crisis existed long before COVID-19. In the United States, a growing older population is quickly expanding demand for care while the supply of professional caregivers, primarily Certified Nursing Assistants (CNAs), is falling further and further behind. By 2040, we will be short an estimated 355,000 paid caregivers.
To close this gap, caregiving careers must be made more accessible and attractive to potential health care workers through innovation and investment.