The newest additions to PHI’s National Clearinghouse on the Direct Care Workforce:

Health Coverage for Direct-Care Workers: 2008 Data Update — This PHI fact sheet, issued in December 2009, illustrates that roughly one out of four direct-care workers do not have health coverage. Workers in home and community-based settings are even less likely to be insured. This new fact sheet uses data from the March Supplement of the 2009 Current Population Survey. It is the fourth in the PHI fact sheet series on direct-care workers.

The 2007 National Survey of State Initiatives on the Direct-Care Workforce: Key Findings — This PHI report documents key 2007 trends in the field of workforce policy development for direct-care workers throughout the country. It finds that states are showing greater interest in improving training, wages, and benefits for workers.

National Evaluation of the Demonstration to Improve the Recruitment and Retention of the Direct Service Community Workforce — This 2009 report from the RAND Corporation evaluates 10 CMS grants aimed at improving the recruitment and retention of direct service workers. CMS issued the grants to state agencies and private organizations throughout the country. Variance within the data made conclusions difficult to make on a national level. However, the evidence suggests that providing health benefits and recognizing workers for their efforts had positive effects on recruitment and retention.

Serving the Underserved: The Case for Supporting and Sustaining a Mission of Value — This November 2009 American Association of Homes and Services for the Aging (AAHSA) study recommends numerous ways that AAHSA can improve the quality of nursing homes located in medically underserved areas. For example, it suggests that AAHSA encourage nursing homes to enact more comprehensive workforce training programs by providing them with the resources necessary for such an undertaking.

PHI’s National Clearinghouse on the Direct Care Workforce is a national online library for people in search of solutions to the direct-care staffing crisis in long-term care. It houses over 800 articles, reports, issue briefs, and fact sheets on the direct-care workforce.