It’s Time to Care: A Detailed Profile of America’s Direct Care Workforce provides a detailed overview of the direct care workforce (including key concepts and definitions), an analysis of how this role has evolved, and a statistical profile of the workforce with key demographics, socio-economic characteristics, and future employment projections.
This report is the first installment in a year-long series of reports that will examine the importance and impact of the direct care workforce. The final, comprehensive report—Caring for the Future: The Power and Potential of America’s Direct Care Workforce—will be released in January 2021. This report series was made possible through generous support from the W. K. Kellogg Foundation and the Woodcock Foundation.
Key Takeaways
Every day, nearly 4.5 million direct care workers support older adults and people with disabilities across the U.S.
From 2018 to 2028, the long-term care sector will need to fill 8.2 million job openings in direct care.
Turnover among the direct care workforce has generally been reported at 40 to 60 percent or higher.
About The Author
Kezia Scales, PhD (she/her)
Vice President of Research & Evaluation
Kezia Scales leads PHI’s strategy for building the evidence base on state and national policies and workforce interventions that improve direct care jobs, elevate this essential workforce, and strengthen care processes and outcomes.
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It’s Time to Care: A Detailed Profile of America’s Direct Care Workforce provides a detailed overview of the direct care workforce (including key concepts and definitions), an analysis of how this role has evolved, and a statistical profile of the workforce with key demographics, socio-economic characteristics, and future employment projections.
This report is the first installment in a year-long series of reports that will examine the importance and impact of the direct care workforce. The final, comprehensive report—Caring for the Future: The Power and Potential of America’s Direct Care Workforce—will be released in January 2021. This report series was made possible through generous support from the W. K. Kellogg Foundation and the Woodcock Foundation. 