Despite growing demand for long-term care, the industry struggles with labor shortages, and experts worry about whether there will be enough workers in the future to care for America’s aging population.

The hardest part of Culix Wibonele’s first job in long-term care was not getting injured.

Originally from Kenya, Wibonele worked as a certified nursing assistant in Atlanta in 2014. She went to the homes of mostly older clients, helping them with everything from bathing to cooking. Wibonele worked alone and sometimes had to lift clients much bigger than her.

It was demanding work and paid only $9 per hour with no benefits. If not for Wibonele’s second job as a babysitter and her husband’s income, they would not have made ends meet while supporting their four children.

“My paycheck, you know, was literally just nothing,” Wibonele said. “I was kind of shocked, like, the amount of work we (were) expected to do and the pay you get at the end.”

Wibonele’s experience reflects broader trends in the long-term care workforce. Those who tend to older adults in settings like private homes and assisted living facilities across the U.S. face low wages and risk of injury while the industry struggles with staff shortages, CNHI News and The Associated Press found as part of an examination of the state of America’s long-term care.

Meanwhile, demand for these workers is rising as the population ages. By 2030, roughly 20% of the U.S. population will be 65 or older, and that share will continue to grow, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

  • njm1314@lemmy.world
    7·
    6 months ago

    So if I’m reading you right your argument is the problem is that you actually have to pay people. Everything stems from the fact that if you pay people you might have lower profits. So it sounds like your argument is we need slaves. That seems to be the direction you’re heading here from what I can tell. You stop two steps short but I don’t see other direction you’re heading with this.

    Also note you say profits but that’s incorrect, the current model is where profits are going to go down. Increasing the supply of workers allows it increasing the supply of clients which would increase profits. What you really mean to say is that short-term stock prices go down. Which we all know is speculation based.