HJNO Nov/Dec 2020

50 NOV / DEC 2020 I  HEALTHCARE JOURNAL OF NEW ORLEANS COLUMN  SENIOR HEALTH HEEDING “THE CALL” TO SENIOR CARE: Mission-based Strategies to Address Shortages in Senior Care WORKERS in senior care frequently chant the same mantra, often using an evenmore emphatic tone as they describe why they were drawn to the industry. I amone of them. After working for 20 years in the acute care industry, I found myself drawn to senior care. Not only did I want to provide the best care possible for ailing seniors, but I also wanted to be part of a newer, more progres- sive movement dedicated to impacting the lives of healthy seniors in a positive way. I was lured by the mission of caring and ad- vocating for seniors. As an aging adult my- self, I amdeeply appreciative of the dogged dedication of those who have committed to such a specialized field. But, as an executive in the field of aging services, I am deeply concerned that there are not enough of us and that we will need more staff to fulfill our mission. According to data from LeadingAge, by 2030, the United States will need 2.5 mil- lion more caregivers in long-term care in order to keep up with the demands of our rapidly aging population. There are myriad reasons that explain why this prediction will ring true. One reason is that people are living longer due to medical advances, so the aging population will continue to grow. Another reason is that people are having fewer children than in generations past. As a result of the latter, we can expect to have There is a common theme chimed among healthcare workers when asked to describe how and why they chose the work they do. Many describe it as a “calling”—an undeniable inclination to help the sick and infirmed. This is particularly true of those who have committed their careers to aging services.