The Need for Monitoring the Long-Term Care Direct Service Workforce and Recommendations for Data Collection
Report
February 1, 2009
This paper discusses the state of the direct service workforce and its role in long-term care system changes. The paper proposes that states collect a minimum data set of information on the workforce, including numbers of direct service workers, turnover and vacancy statistics, and average worker compensation. It argues that this information is essential in order to assess the magnitude of workforce issues, design appropriate responses, and measure the impact of policies over time.