The Caring Corner®
The Caring Corner – The Growing Caregiver Shortage in America
Caregivers play an important role in our society. They provide invaluable care and support to those who need it most—the elderly, people with disabilities, and individuals with chronic illnesses. Unfortunately, the number of caregivers is not keeping up with demand. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, there is a growing shortage of caregivers in the United States. This means that families are struggling to find qualified help for their loved ones.
Why is There a Caregiver Shortage?
The answer is complex and multifaceted. A key factor is that many jobs in the caregiving industry do not pay well, meaning they can be difficult to fill. For example, according to the National Domestic Workers Alliance, nannies make an average of $17/hour and home health aides earn an average of $11/hour—far lower than what workers in other industries make for comparable work. Additionally, these positions often require long hours and can be physically demanding; factors which further discourage potential applicants from seeking out caregiving positions. At the end of the day there is a limit to the number of people who want to help someone else with intimate tasks of personal care like bathing and using the toilet.
Another factor contributing to the caregiver shortage is the population demographics in the United States. As Baby Boomers age into retirement, there will be an increasing need for long-term care services for seniors—and yet there are not enough caregivers available to meet this demand. In fact, according to data from Genworth Financial’s 2019 Cost of Care Survey, there has been a 5% decrease in professional caregivers over the past five years alone!
Finally, as more people live longer due to advances in medical technology, there will be more seniors needing specialized care that only trained professionals can provide. This puts even more strain on an already overstretched workforce and increases the shortage even further.
Something needs to change if we want to address this growing caregiver shortage in America. We must increase wages for these essential workers so that they can make a living wage while doing this important work; we must create incentives so more people are encouraged to enter this field; and we must invest more resources into creating new training programs so that there are enough qualified professionals available when needed. People think that technology will help fill the gap, and may be true on the margins. But in the foreseeable future it’s hard to envision a robot that will change someone’s soiled diaper and clean them so they avoid ulcers and skin breakdown.
Until then, families looking for help caring for their loved ones may find themselves short on options and resources—and it’s up to us all to do our part in addressing this issue.
Call Acorn for great caregivers when you need home care or elder care services for a loved in Chapel Hill, Durham and surrounding areas. Caregivers can provide simple companionship or may serve clients with Alzheimer’s, dementia, on hospice and bed bound patients. From a few hours per visit to 24/7 care.
