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International review of experts' recommendations for reforming the long-term services and supports workforce
International review of experts' recommendations for reforming the long-term services and supports workforce
The COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated an already challenging environment for finding and maintaining a strong workforce of paid staff who deliver long-term services and supports (LTSS). This critical workforce, which includes nurses, personal care aides, home health aides, and nursing assistants, is essential to meeting the daily caregiving needs of those who require LTSS--people who also receive a great deal of support from family caregivers. Due to the poor conditions and significant pressures of the jobs, LTSS employees were already under considerable stress before the pandemic--and the situation has only worsened with it. Among the persistent challenges to LTSS workers are physical and mental health risks, poor wages and benefits, and inadequate training for the complexities of the care these individuals give to people with disabilities--primarily older adults. This Spotlight describes the LTSS workforce in the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), of which the United States is a member country. After an overview of the challenges LTSS workers face, we summarize experts' recommendations for reform and describe how some OECD member countries are innovating to improve the situation for their LTSS workforce. Finally, this Spotlight addresses what the United States can learn from other countries and offers additional information on the needs of LTSS workers who serve older people.
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