The Alzheimer’s Association Dementia Care Provider Roundtable (AADCPR) — a group that aims to solve issues in the long-term care, home care and community-based services workforce — came up with five areas that organizations should address to hire and retain workers. The guidelines also include standards to meet the needs of the workers going forward.
The five topics include ensuring high-quality jobs, recruitment and reputation management, onboarding, retention and career development, according to the report published Thursday in Alzheimer’s & Dementia.
The crisis stems from low wages for the workers, which are $13.36 on average and more than one third lower than the national median wage. One in 10 direct care workers live below the poverty level. The workers are less likely than other workers to have employer health insurance or retirement plans.
To hire and retain appropriately, organizations need to recognize the following: Providing high-quality jobs includes competitive wages and good benefits. Recruiting workers means communicating with potential hires effectively and efficiently, as well as a simple hiring process as well as ample technology tools for scheduling. Onboarding should include a comprehensive orientation and clear plans for development. Retention includes coaching, recognition programs and bonuses. Career development initiatives will guide workers to improve their skills going forward in their careers.
“As an industry, we must understand the demographics in order to tailor jobs to people, making jobs more attractive and more person-centered,” the authors wrote. “But person-centeredness goes deeper than demographic groups. We also need to be hearing from frontline staff frequently and making sure their opinions matter and result in organizational change.”
“The importance of creating a strong sense of community should not be overlooked. Direct care staff should feel valued, have meaningful work, and shown outcomes of their work, proving their work is making a meaningful difference in the community. A strong sense of community can be fostered through connecting all members of the staff from every department, including nursing, housekeeping, maintenance, activities, and dietary,” the authors wrote.
