WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, the National Center for Assisted Living (NCAL), representing more than 4,000 assisted living communities across the country, released a survey of assisted living providers highlighting how the industry is still facing a serious staffing and economic crisis.
Key findings include:
- More than half (52 percent) of assisted living providers say their overall workforce situation has worsened since January 2022.
- 63 percent are experiencing staffing shortages. A quarter of those assisted living providers say they have a high level of staffing shortages.
- 93 percent have increased wages to help attract and retain caregivers.
- 98 percent have asked staff to work overtime or extra shifts due to the staffing shortages. Half have hired temporary agency staff due to shortages.
- 87 percent say they have difficulty hiring new staff.
- The biggest obstacle for assisted living providers in hiring new staff is a lack of interested or qualified candidates, with two-thirds of providers saying it was an “extremely big” challenge.
- Nearly half (48 percent) are concerned they may have to close their assisted living communities if workforce challenges persist.
- On average, assisted living providers say their operational costs have increased since this time last year by 40 percent.
- More than one-third are currently operating at a loss (37 percent) and can’t sustain current operating pace for more than one year (35 percent).
Assisted living professionals will share these findings as well as their own unique, local perspectives with members of Congress during the association’s Congressional Briefing event, taking place Monday, June 6 and Tuesday, June 7. More than 500 long term and post-acute professionals are expected to visit the Hill, advocating for legislation and policies that will help address these workforce and economic crises.
“The survey shows that the workforce crisis in assisted living has not improved, and we are deeply concerned that more assisted living communities will have to close their doors,” said NCAL Executive Director LaShuan Bethea. “Assisted living has been largely forgotten by public health officials during this pandemic—it’s time they received the resources and the support they desperately need.”
View the assisted living provider survey results HERE. The survey also included other long term care providers, and the nursing home results may be found HERE.