In case you missed it, new United States Census Bureau data shows that the median age in the country reached a record high last year and is only expected to increase.
An Axios article covering the new data explained, “The aging workforce could drive worker shortages for years to come – especially in health care, which will become even more crucial as we gray.”
On the new data, Kristie Wilder, a demographer in the Census Bureau’s Population Division said, “As the nation’s median age creeps closer to 40, you can really see how the aging of Baby Boomers, and now their children – sometimes called echo boomers – is impacting the median age … Without a rapidly growing young population, the U.S. median age will likely continue its slow but steady rise.”
As the country continues to age, access to long term care is more important than ever. In a white paper by the National Center for Assisted Living, the 80 and over population is projected to grow more than nine percent between now and 2027. Meanwhile, the number of unpaid caregivers, such as family and friends, is expected to decrease over the next five years, creating a greater need for paid caregivers in long term care settings.
However, the long term care sector is facing historic labor shortages. Nursing homes disproportionately lost more workers than any other health care sector during the pandemic – more than 200,000 – and facilities are still struggling to rebuild.
A recent survey from the American Health Care Association and National Center for Assisted Living (AHCA/NCAL) found that one-third of nursing homes say their workforce situation has worsened since the end of 2022, with approximately 77 percent reporting moderate to high level staffing shortages. Despite 90 percent offering higher wages and 85 percent offering bonuses to aid in hiring, 95 percent of nursing homes are experiencing difficulty hiring new staff. There simply are not enough available workers.
With a record-high median age in the U.S. and ongoing labor shortages in nursing homes, the Biden Administration is expected to issue a federal minimum staffing mandate that will only exacerbate the situation.
America’s seniors and long term care facilities need supportive policies, not unfunded blanket mandates that punish facilities for not being able to find workers amid a limited work pool. Comprehensive solutions, such as those laid out by AHCA’s Care for Our Seniors Act, will support caregivers and protect access to care for our nation’s seniors.