HJNO Nov/Dec 2020

HEALTHCARE JOURNAL OF NEW ORLEANS I  NOV / DEC 2020 51 Jeré Hales Chief Operating Officer Lambeth House fewer adult children available to provide or coordinate long-term care for their aging parents or relatives. According to anAARP survey, more than 68 percent of older adults trust that they will be able to rely on family members to meet their long-term care needs as they age, however, that does not match the real- ity that availability among family caregiv- ers and adult children is expected to shrink dramatically in the coming years. It is ex- pected that the period between 2010 and 2030 will mark the apex of when the oldest Baby Boomers begin to age out of their peak caregiving years and reach amore advanced age (80 years and older). At the same time, Americans ages 45-64 (the prime age of the adult child caregiver) is expected to only in- crease by amere 1 percent while the number of seniors 80 years and older are expected to increase by approximately 79 percent. With less family caregivers available, the need for more long-termcare in senior living settings will increase. This situation will call for more professional and front-line staff dedicated to aging services. Most recently, these caregiver challeng- es coupled with workforce shortages have been further complicated by the coronavirus pandemic. Prior to the pandemic, staffing shortages ranked among the top concerns of leaders in senior care. One pre-pandemic survey by LeadingAge revealed that one in seven staff positions went unfilled and that nearly half of the participating providers had no applications for vacant caregiver positions. So, what should the senior care industry do to attract and retain talent? Well, there doesn’t seem to be one answer, but rather the need to consider a mix of solutions to address the staffing shortages. According to Amy Roberts, the human re- sources director at Lambeth House, there must be a comprehensive strategy to ad- dress the situation. She recommends the following mission-driven tactics: • For Recruitment: Clearly Define and Articulate the Mission of Aging Ser- vices. Roberts acknowledges that while incentives, competitive pay and great benefits are a draw for applicants, the most dedicated staff are those who un- derstand and embrace the mission of Lambeth House and communities like it. Roberts experienced her “calling”to aging services only after she learned more about the industry. Commu- nicating the mission and educating candidates about the industry is es- sential to helping candidates heed to the calling and is part of her strategy to attract caring staff. She emphasizes the rewards associated with the purpose- filled work that comes with working with seniors. • For Retention: Create a Culture Where the Mission Thrives. It is es- timated that mission-driven workers are 54 percent more likely to remain at an organization for at least five years. Roberts states, “At Lambeth House, 30 percent of our workforce has been here a decade or more. In large part, that is due to our staff’s dedication to live by its mission.” Of all the challenges presented during the pandemic, staffing shortages may be one of the most difficult to address. The mission- driven approach is merely one part of the solution to a massive issue. However, con- centration on themission keeps the focus on the seniors we serve. Whether the calling is innate or follows an introduction into senior care, now is the time to start creating a well- planned strategy to position the industry for what the future has in store. n “With less family caregivers available, the need for more long-term care in senior living settings will increase. This situation will call for more professional and front-line staff dedicated to aging services.”