Wages Adjusted for Inflation: Over the past decade, inflation-adjusted median hourly wages for Nursing Aides, Orderlies, and Attendants in North Dakota increased by 22 percent, from $7.58 to $9.22. Real wages for Personal Care Aides increased by 14 percent while those for Home Health Aides increased by only 6 percent.
Employer-Sponsored Insurance: Compared to the national civilian workforce, fewer of North Dakota’s direct-care workers have access to and use employer-sponsored insurance. Some work for employers that do not offer health insurance. Others work for employers that limit eligibility for health insurance to full-time employees. This creates a barrier for many direct-care workers, especially those in home and community-based settings, who often work only part-time due to the episodic nature of direct-care work. Even workers who do have access to insurance from their employer may find the co-pays and premiums unaffordable.
Wage Legislation: This Quality Care/Quality Jobs article describes how North Dakota, using funding from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, passed legislation including a provision of $41.3 million for wage increases for workers in nursing homes and basic care facilities, as well as for Developmental Disabilities Services Providers and Qualified Service Providers.
Direct Support: A Realistic Job Preview: This 18-minute video illustrates the realities of working as a direct support professional who provides services and supports to people with developmental disabilities living in a variety of settings. The video was produced by the Research and Training Center on Community Living at the University of Minnesota and funded by the North Dakota Department of Human Services. It is being promoted throughout the state in order to improve recruitment and retention for DSPs under a 5-year Money Follows the Person grant which North Dakota received in 2007.
A Realistic Job Preview for Qualified Service Providers: This 18-minute video showcases interviews with self-employed, independent workers who provide in-home services and supports to elderly persons and persons with developmental disabilities under programs funded by the North Dakota Department of Human Services. With the goal of improving recruitment of qualified service providers in North Dakota, this video was produced by the Research and Training Center on Community Living at the University of Minnesota and funded by the North Dakota Department of Human Services.
North Dakota Personal Assistance Registry: Minot State University operates this statewide matching service registry linking consumers and independent personal care providers in North Dakota.
Long Term Care in North Dakota, 2011 Booklet: This report by the North Dakota Long Term Care Association (NDLTCA) surveys the state of congregate and facility-based care in North Dakota and highlights the problem of staff vacancies and high turnover.
North Dakota Association of Community Providers: North Dakota Association of Community Providers (NDACP) in partnership with North Dakota Department of Commerce implemented the Talent Pipeline Matching Project. The project’s 2011-2013 strategic workforce plan, as well as other workforce-related resources, can be found at the NDACP website.
Recruitment and Retention of Direct Support Professionals in North Dakota: Analysis of 2010 NDACP Data (pdf): This 2010 report, prepared by the CMS DSW Resource Center Technical Assistance Team, examines workforce data collected by the 25 provider agencies that make up the North Dakota Association of Community Providers (NDACP). It finds that wage increments provided in FY 2004, FY 2008, and FY 2010 to direct support professionals employed by the NDACP agencies resulted in notable reductions in turnover for this employee group. The FY 2010 increase was also associated with a reduction in the number of vacant positions.
Ready to Serve? PFund Foundation Report of the Aging Network and Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Older Adults (pdf): This report issued by the University of Minnesota and the PFund Foundation in Dec 2010 includes results from a survey of 15 aging agency directors from Iowa, Minnesota, Wisconsin, and North Dakota on lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) training for their workers. The report makes recommendations on how to address the needs of LGBT elders.