State Activities: Entire US

Background
Direct Care Workforce Initiatives
Laws and Regulations
Reports
Practice Profiles
Key Contacts
Government Offices


Background

State Statistics
(see below for key to abbreviations)



PC/HC Aide = Personal Care/Home Care Aide
HHA = Home Health Aide
CNA = Certified Nursing Assistant
Avg DCW = Average Direct-Care Worker
United States and state abbreviations are used (ex: VT = Vermont)

In 2000 34,991,753 (12.4%) of the total U.S. population (281,421,906) were aged 65 and over, a 12% increase since 1990. The U.S. Census estimates that by 2030 the elder population will increase by 104.2%. By that year the traditional caregiving workforce (women aged 25 to 44) will increase by only 6.9%.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reports that in 2006 2,706,430 nursing assistants, home health aides, and personal care/home care aides worked in the United States earning an average of $9.85 per hour. BLS anticipates that 962,000 new direct-care positions will be created by 2014, a 35% increase over the number of positions in 2004. These numbers do not include many direct-care workers who are self-employed.

According to a survey by the American Healthcare Association (AHCA) in 2002 the nationwide vacancy rate for CNAs was 8.5% and the turnover rate was 71.1%. It is anticipated that the Nation's already high rates of direct-care worker vacancies and turnover (in a 2003 national survey, 35 states reported that they considered direct-care workforce vacancies a serious problem) will get worse as the population continues to age, and the 'care gap' between those needing care and those available to care for them continues to widen.

Sources:

1) The 65 years and over population: 2000, Census 2000 Brief
2) Results of the 2003 national survey of state initiatives on the long-term care direct-care workforce.
3) Who are direct-care workers?




Direct Care Workforce Initiatives

Better Jobs Better Care
Better Jobs Better Care is a 4-year $15.5 million research and demonstration program, funded by The Atlantic Philanthropies and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. Its goal is to achieve changes in long-term care policy and practice that help to reduce high vacancy and turnover rates among direct-care staff across the spectrum of long-term care settings and contribute to improved workforce quality. The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and The Atlantic Philanthropies selected five state-based coalitions Iowa, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Oregon, and Vermont to receive demonstration grants.

Contact:
Institute for the Future of Aging Services
2519 Connecticut Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20008
t: (202) 508-1215
e: bjbc@aahsa.org

Website: www.futureofaging.org

Contact:
Steve Edelstein, National Policy Director
Paraprofessional Healthcare Institute
349 East 149th Street, 10th Floor
Bronx, N.Y., National 10451
t: (718) 402-7413
e: Edelstein@paraprofessional.org

Website: www.bjbc.org


Evaluation of Culture Change in For-Profit Nursing Homes: Business Innovation at Beverly Enterprises
Over the last decade, a grassroots movement within the nursing home industry known as 'culture change' has begun to fundamentally alter the way nursing homes function. This evaluation, funded by The Commonwealth Fund, focuses on a new culture change initiative being implemented in nursing homes owned by the nation's largest for-profit chain, Beverly Enterprises. It measures change that has occurred and identifies factors that impede as well as facilitate improvements at the unit, facility, and corporate levels. Evidence that corporate business interests are furthered through quality innovations would serve as a powerful incentive for their widespread adoption-particularly among for-profit homes, which account for two-thirds of nursing facilities nationwide.

Contact:
Leslie A. Grant, Principal Investigator
National t: (612) 624-8844
e: grant004@umn.edu


National Direct Service Workforce Resource Center
In 2006, the National Direct Service Workforce Resource Center was developed by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. The Resource Center was developed to replace the Demonstration to Improve the Direct Service Community Workforce grants. The Resource Center provides information on the information and resources about the direct service workforce.

The Resource Center includes a database that provides resources from
Quality Mall
Research and Training Center on Community Living
HCBS: Clearinghouse for the Community Living Exchange Collaborative
Better Jobs Better Care
National Alliance for Direct Support Professionals
UCSF PAS Center
Health Care for Health Care Workers
and the National Clearinghouse on the Direct Care Workforce.

Each year, the Resource Center also selects five states to recieve individualized intensive technical assistance (TA).

In 2006, the grantees were Texas, South Carolina, New York, Louisiana, and Arizona.

In 2007, Georgia, New Jersey, Wisconsin, Utah, and North Carolina were selected.

National t: 1 (877) 822-2647
e: info@dswresourcecenter.org

Website: www.dswresourcecenter.org


New Freedom Initiative
President Bush announced the New Freedom Initiative on February 1, 2001, followed by Executive Order 13217 on June 18, 2001. The initiative is a nationwide effort to remove barriers to community living for people of all ages with disabilities and long-term illnesses. It represents an important step in working to ensure that all Americans have the opportunity to learn and develop skills, engage in productive work, choose where to live, and participate in community life.

In 2004, the Demonstration to Improve the Direct Service Community Workforce will grant $1.4 million each to the Virginia Department of Medical Assistance Services; the Home Care Quality Authority, a Washington state agency; and Bridges, Inc. , a non-profit service agency in Indiana. Each of these grantees will be offering health insurance products to direct-service workers during the three-year demonstration. Grants of $680,000 each will go to the Arkansas Department of Human Services and Seven Counties Services, Inc., a service provider in Kentucky, for developing educational materials, training of service workers, mentorship programs and other activities.

Funding for FY03 includes almost $6 million for Demonstration to Improve the Direct Service Community Workforce grants to provide funding for the development and implementation of programs that will test recruitment and retention strategies for the direct-service workforce, targeted recruitment programs, web-based registries, and professional assistance associations. The 'Demonstration to Improve the Direct Service Community Workforce' has awarded $1.4 million each to the New Mexico Department of Health, the Maine Governor's Office of Health Policy and Finance, and Pathways for the Future, a service provider in North Carolina. Grants of $680,000 were awarded to the University of Delaware and the Volunteers of America, Inc.


Real Choice Systems Change (RCSC) Grants

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) awarded Real Choice Systems Change (RCSC) Grants to states and other entities working to improve state long-term care systems. Many grantees began one or more initiatives to improve the recruitment and retention of direct-service workers.
States that have initiatives to improve direct-service workforce:
Alaska
Arkansas
Georgia
Kentucky
Maine
Maryland
Montana
Nevada
New Hampshire
New Jersey
Oregon
Vermont


For further information on the workforce activities of the Real Choice grantees go to Direct service workforce activities of the Systems Change grantees

Contact:
Kate King, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
7500 Security Blvd.
Mail Stop S2-14-26
Baltimore, Maryland , National 21244-1850
t: (410) 786-2117
e: Kking@cms.hhs.gov

Website: www.cms.gov/newfreedom


Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation (ASPE) Workforce Initiatives
The Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation (ASPE) is currently funding six initiatives to improve the direct-care workforce:

National Nursing Assistant Survey
In an effort to determine what draws individuals to careers as nursing assistants and to work in nursing homes, and what contributes to their satisfaction and likelihood of staying in their jobs, this first-time direct-care worker survey of Certified Nursing Assistants (a new addition to the 2004 National Nursing Home Survey) will examine wages, working conditions, workers' perceptions of their workplace, job responsibilities, and the role of supervision.

Home Health Aide Survey Design
The design of the Home Health Aide survey will be an adaptation of the Nursing Assistant Supplement for the National Nursing Home Survey. The goal is to develop a survey and design an instrument to obtain data on the size and characteristics of the Home Health Aide workforce.

Home Health Aide Partnership Evaluation
The Home Health Aide (HHA) Collaborative, implemented by the Visiting Service of New York, seeks to enhance the role of home health aides as part of a care team, resulting in: patient services matching need more effectively, better [patient] self-care management, continuity of care, and improved satisfaction for the HHA, patient and staff. The evaluation will measure the impact of the HHA partnership Collaborative on patient outcomes, and on employee and organizational culture.

Frontline Supervisor Survey
The goal of the survey of frontline supervisors will allow policymakers to understand the perspectives and experiences of frontline supervisors participating in workforce development interventions. The survey of these supervisors will be completed in approximately 130 nursing homes, assisted living facilities, home health agencies, and adult day providers that are part of the Better Jobs, Better Care demonstration project.

Suitability of TANF Recipients as Long-Term Care Workers
By analyzing survey data and conducting case studies in selected states, the study will describe the personal characteristics and skills of TANF recipients as they relate to their potential in a LTC setting, lessons learned from programs that have attempted to link TANF recipients with positions in the LTC field, and potential ways that workforce development systems and welfare-to-work policies and practices have facilitated or hindered efforts to link recipients with jobs in the industry.

Follow-up Activities: The National Symposium on the Recruitment & Retention of Direct Care Workers
In spring 2004 a The National Symposium on the Recruitment & Retention of Direct Care Workers was held. In an effort to follow up on the symposium ASPE intends: 1) To disseminate lessons learned with a broad range of users, especially policymakers, employers, and direct-care workers; 2) to convene follow-up conference calls with symposium participants to identify successful activities that have occurred since the symposium and to identify where the gaps remain; 3) to identify innovative partnership activities; 4) to identify resources available in the private sector, and through state and local sources for direct-care workforce improvement activities; 5) and to identify opportunities for additional policy-relevant research and demonstration activities to ensure a committed and qualified long-term care workforce.

Contact:
Emily Rosenoff
US Department of Health & Human Services, Office of Disability, Aging, and Long-Term Care Policy (ASPE)
200 Independence Avenue, SW --Room 424E
Washington, D.C. 20201, National t: (202) 690-6443
e: Emily.Rosenoff@hhs.gov

Website: aspe.hhs.gov/_/index.cfm


Pioneer Network
The Pioneer Network is a network of progressive long-term care organizations and individuals committed to transforming the culture of aging and eldercare in America.

Contact:
Rose Marie Fagan
PO Box 18648
Rochester, New York , National 14618
t: Direct line: (585) 924-3419 Resource Center: (585) 271-7570
e: RoseMarie.Fagan@PioneerNetwork.net

Website: www.PioneerNetwork.net


Quality Improvement Organizations (QIOs)
Quality Improvement Organizations (QIOs) are private organizations that contract with the federal government's Centers for Medicate and Medicaid Services (CMS) to improve care quality in nursing homes, home health care agencies, and other health care organizations. There is a QIO for each of the 50 states as well as the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands.

While their focus has traditionally been strictly clinical, QIOs are amending their approach in nursing homes, encouraging organizational and management practices that support direct-care workers and other caregiving staff.

As part of an effort to affect transformational change in nursing homes, The Person Directed Care (PDC) project, lead by Quality Partners of RI, has trained all 53 QIOs to provide information, resources and implementation strategies that will allow QIOs to work with nursing homes on implementing person directed care models. This model encompasses practices and procedures in three domains: workplace practice, care practice and environment.

For the Quality Improvement Organizations' (QIOs) 8th scope work workforce retention has been identified as an important priority. This increased focus on workforce retention stems from nursing home experience during the past two years. In nursing homes, QIOs have found that clinical practices such as pressure ulcer reduction and pain management cannot be significantly improved without the involvement of the CNAs who provide the great majority of the hands-on care.

Contact:
Margie McLaughlin
National t: (401) 528-3259
e: mmclaughlin@riqio.sdps.org

Website: www.riqualitypartners.org/nursing_homes/c_change_materials.php


SEIU Home Care Workers Health Insurance Project
The Service Employees International Union (SEIU) has an excellent track record in obtaining health insurance coverage for this population of low wage, older, largely part-time, mostly female workforce. Under a grant from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, SEIU is analyzing its past efforts and will create replicable models of coverage that can be used by the union and other organizations in efforts to reduce the high number of uninsured in the home care workforce.

Contact:
Cathie Sullivan, Home Care Policy Analyst, Service Employees International Union
1313 L Street, N.W.
Washington, DC 20005, National t: (202) 898-3275
e: sullivac@seiu.org

Website: www.seiu.org


The Center for Personal Assistance Services
The Center for Personal Assistance Services provides research, training, dissemination, and technical assistance on issues of personal assistance services (PAS) in the United States:

  • The relationship between formal and informal PAS and caregiving support, and the role of assistive technology (AT) in complementing PAS;

  • Policies and programs, barriers and new models for PAS in the home and community;

  • PAS Workforce development, recruitment, retention, and benefits; and

  • Workplace models of formal and informal PAS and at work.

Contact:
Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences
School of Nursing, University of California
3333 California Street, Suite 455
San Francisco, California, National 94118-0612
t: 866-PAS-9577 (866-727-9577) or (415) 502-7190

Website: www.pascenter.org


The College of Direct Support
The College of Direct Support (CDS) is a web-based national training curriculum for direct-support professionals. This curriculum is based on the Community Support Skills Standards. The CDS also offers The College of Frontline Supervision & Management, which helps supervisors and others learn more about hiring, training, and keeping direct support professionals. The CDS is collaboration of the Administration on Developmental Disabilities, the University of Minnesota's Center on Community Living, and MC Strategies. The courses are competency based and provide further opportunity for assessment and development of skills after the on-line training is done.

Contact:
Bill Tapp
111 Center Park Drive, Suite 175
Knoxville , Tennessee, National 37922
t: (865) 934-0221
e: bill@collegeofdirectsupport.com

Website: www.collegeofdirectsupport.com


The President's High Growth Job Training Initiative
The goal of the President's High Growth Job Training Initiative is to develop partnerships with the public workforce system, business and industry, education and training providers, and economic development in twelve industries. These partners will work collaboratively to create solutions to the workforce challenges facing these industries and to develop maximum access for American workers to gain the competencies they need to get good jobs in these industries.

Health care is one of the industries which the High Growth Job Training Initiative will focus on. Overall, grants totaling more than $24 million are being funded across the health care industry.

As part of this initiative the Paraprofessional Healthcare Institute has received a nearly $1 million grant that will focus on the multiple workforce challenges related to the recruitment and retention of direct-care workers. The Paraprofessional Healthcare Institute will: 1) develop a recruitment and apprenticeship career-lattice model; 2) create a coaching approach for front-line supervisors, with a curriculum designed for employer-based community colleges; 3) demonstrate a problem solving training curriculum, in partnership with Lancaster's Workforce Investment Board; 4) publish a series of guidebooks, curricula, and teaching manuals, written in English and Spanish, on effective paraprofessional workforce development practices; 5) create strategic relations with faith-based health systems capable of bringing about nationwide change.

Contact:
Laura Ginsburg, US Department of Labor, Employment & Training Administration (ETA)
200 Constitution Avenue, NW
Suite N4671
Washington, DC , National 20210
t: (202) 693-2803
e: ginsburg.laura@dol.gov

Website: www.doleta.gov/BRG/Indprof/Health.cfm




Laws and Regulations

Federal Home Health Care Agency Laws and Regulations
The general provisions for Home Health Agencies.
42 CFR 484:
CFR Title 42, Part 484


Home Health Aide Training:
The Federal law requires home health aides to pass a competency test covering 12 areas:
Communication skills; observation, reporting, and documentation of patient status and the care or services furnished; reading and recording vital signs; basic infection control procedures; basic elements of body function and changes; maintenance of a clean, safe, and healthy environment; recognition of and procedures for emergencies; the physical, emotional, and developmental characteristics of the patients served; personal hygiene and grooming; safe transfer techniques; normal range of motion and positioning; and basic nutrition. A home aide may take training before taking the competency test. The Federal law requires at least 75 hours of classroom and practical training supervised by a registered nurse.
42 CFR 484: Condition of participation: Home health aide services CFR Title 42, Part 484, Section 36

Home Health Agency Administration, including conditions of participation.
The conditions laid out in this subpart include: 1) the patient has the right to be informed about his or her rights; 2) The Home Health Agency (HHA) must ensure patient confidentiality; 3) The HHA must comply with all federal, state and local laws; 4) The organization and administrative duties of the agency must be stated clearly in writing; 5) there must be adequate professional personnel; 6) must be able to meet patient needs and develop a plan of care before accepting a patient; 7) report OASIS information.
42 CFR 484.10-484.20, Subpart B: CFR Title 42, Part 484, Subpart B (Section 10 to 20)

Home Health Agency Furnishing of Services, including conditions of participation. The conditions laid out in this subpart include: 1) skilled nursing services in accordance with the plan of care; 2) therapy services given by a qualified therapist or under their supervision; 3) skilled home health aide services; 4) qualified outpatient physical therapy or speech pathology services; 5) maintain a clinical record of past and current findings in accordance with accepted professional standards; 6) evaluation of agency's program at least once a year; 7) comprehensive assessment of patients.
CFR Title 42, Part 484, Subpart C: CFR Title 42, Part 484, Subpart C (Section 30 to 55)

Prospective Payment System for Home Health Agencies
CFR Title 42, Part 484, Subpart D: Not available online

Conditions of participation for home health agencies include: 1) protection of patient rights; 2) notification of State entities; 3) use of home health aides; 4) medical equipment; 5) individual's plan of care; 6) compliance with Federal, State, and local laws and regulations

U.S. Code Title 42 Section 1396n

A home health agency must meet the requirements for participation in Medicare.
42 CFR 440.70: Most recent available section: CFR Title 42 Part 440 Section 70(text)


Federal Nursing Homes Laws and Regulations
Federal Requirements for Training of CNAs:


The federal requirement for nursing facility administration and the required training of nursing aides:

A Nursing Aide must have completed a state approved training program and competency evaluation and the facility must received verification from the Nurse Aide Registry, unless the nursing aide can prove they have completed a program, but have yet to be included in the registry. If the Aide is enrolled in a program they can work without being on the registry for a period of four months.

CNA Training
The federal minimum requirement for nurse aide training is 75 hours and a competency evaluation:

42 CFR 483.75 Required training of nursing aides (e)(f): Most recent available section: CFR Title 42 Part 483 Section 75 (e)(f) (g)(text)
42 CFR 483.151 Review and approval of nurse aide training and competency evaluation programs and competency evaluation programs. Most recent available section: CFR Title 42 Part 483 Section 151(text)
42 CFR 483.152: Requirements for approval of a nurse aide training and competency evaluation program Most recent available section: CFR Title 42 Part 483 Section 152(text)
42 CFR 483.154: Nurse aide competency evaluation Most recent available section: CFR Title 42 Part 483 Section 154(text)
42 USC 1395i-3(b)(5) & (e)(1)Required training of nurse aides (Medicare facilities): U.S. Code Title 42 Section 1395i-3 (b)(5) & (e)(1)
42USC 1396r(b)(5)Required training of nurse aides (Medicaid facilities): U.S. Code Title 42 Section 1395i-3 (b)(5) & (e)(1)

The State may wave requirements that apply to a nursing aide that completed a training and competency evaluation prior to July 1, 1989:
42 CFR 483.150:Statutory basis; Deemed meeting or waiver of requirements. Most recent available section: CFR Title 42 Part 483 Section 150 (text)


Oversite
42 USC 1395i-3(f)(2) HHS responsibility for the training and competency evaluation program (Medicare facilities): U.S. Code Title 42 Section 1395i-3 (f) (2)
42 USC 1396r(f)(2) HHS responsibility for the training and competency evaluation program U.S. Code Title 42 Section 1396r(f) (2)

CNA Registry:
42 CFR 483.156Registry of nurse aides.: Most recent available section: CFR Title 42 Part 483 Section 156(text)
42 USC 1395i-3(e)(2) Nurse aide registry(Medicare facilities) U.S. Code Title 42 Section 1395i-3 (e)(2)
42 USC 1395i (e)(2)Nurse aide registry(Medicaid facilities):: U.S. Code Title 42 Section 1396r (e)(2)

Staffing Rates:
Nursing facility is required to use the services of a registered nurse 8 consecutive hours a day, 7 days a week. This requirement may be waived given certain conditions.
42 CFR 483.30: Most recent available section: CFR Title 42 Part 483 Section 30(text)

Financing Nurse Aide Training and Competency Evaluations:
FFP is available for State expenditures associated with nurse aide training and competency evaluation program.
42 CFR 483.158: Most recent available section: CFR Title 42 Part 483 Section 158(text)


Nurse Reinvestment Act
The Nurse Reinvestment Act, which was signed into law in August 2002 and funded the following year (February 2003), is aimed at encouraging people to enter and remain in the field of nursing. It focuses primarily on licensed nurses, but some sections apply to certified nursing assistants, home health aides, and other direct-care workers, including grants to promote career advancement and special training opportunities.

thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/D?c107:5:./temp/~c107q93hct::


Nursing Home Regulations Plus
This a searchable website of nursing home regulations in all fifty states. The site was created by researchers at the University of Minnesota School of Public Health with grant funding from the Hulda B and Maurice L Rothschild Foundation.

www.hsr.umn.edu/NHRegsPlus/index.htm




Reports
Assisted living state regulatory review 2007. Polzer, Karl . March 2007. National Center for Assisted Living.

This report summarizes the state laws and regulations that govern assisted living facilities, including requirements for staff criminal background checks and age minimums, CPR training, staff-to-resident ratios, and training requirements. It also provides contact information for each state's assisted living regulatory agency and offers brief commentary about regulations and legislation currently under consideration.

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    Direct-care health workers: The unnecessary crisis in long-term care. Dawson, Steven L., and Rick Surpin. May 2001. The Aspen Institute.

    The authors examine the structure of long-term care, its financing, and the impact of the current labor crisis on the three key stakeholders: workers, providers, and consumers. The report recommends a sectorwide restructuring of long-term care, supported by new labor, welfare, and health care policies.

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    Direct service workforce activities of the Systems Change grantees. Anderson, Wayne L., Joshua M. Wiener, Angela M. Greene, and Janet O'Keeffe . April 2004. RTI International.

    In 2001 the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) awarded Real Choice Systems Change (RCSC) Grants to states and other entities working to improve state long-term care systems. Twenty grantees began one or more initiatives to improve the recruitment and retention of direct service workers. This report focuses on the workforce initiatives of these 20 grantees, with an in-depth look at 7. The report strongly recomends that policymakers, providers, and consumers address workforce problems.

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    GAO testimony: Nursing workforce: Recruitment and retention of nurses and nurse aides is a growing concern. Scanlon, William J. May 2001. General Accounting Office.

    In testimony to Congress, the General Accounting Office (GAO) provides a comprehensive analysis of current and future long-term care staffing issues. This report includes data quantifying the shortage of nurses and paraprofessionals across all states and identifying the race, ethnicity, gender, and age characteristics of the workforce; an analysis of critical factors affecting labor, including wages, working conditions, and changing demographics; and a survey of strategies that states are using to address the current shortage of workers.

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    Long term care financing and the long-term care workforce crisis: Causes and solutions . Dawson, Steven. January 2003. Citizens for Long-Term Care.

    This paper examines the emerging 'care gap' in long-term care and the negative impact of staff shortages on the three primary stakeholders, consumer, providers, and workers. It recommends a national strategy--integrating both federal and state policy into a comprehensive system of long-term support and services--to address the direct-care crisis. Specific recommendations include: 1) Develop a national commitment to long-term care financing; 2) Make direct-care jobs competitively attractive by improving wages, training, opportunities for advancement, employee supports, improved use of technology, and accountability; and 3) Broaden supply by attracting younger and older workers, male workers, workers transitioning from public assistance, and new immigrants.

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    NCSBN directory of nurse aide registries. . 2007. The National Council of State Boards of Nursing, Inc. (NCSBN).

    State contact information for nurse aide registries across the country are collected within this directory, compiled annually by the National Council of State Boards of Nursing(NCSBN).

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    Nurse aide training. Rehnquist, Janet. November 2002. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General (OIG).

    A study of nurse aide training conducted by the Department of Health and Human Services Office of the Inspector General (OIG) finds that nurse aide training has not kept pace with nursing home industry needs, teaching methods are often ineffective, clinical exposure is too short and unrealistic, and in-service training may not meet federal requirements. The report is based on interviews with federal and state officials and 29 nursing homes. 92 nursing aides were interviewed, 889 nurse aides completed surveys, and 17 participated in focus groups.

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    Nursing aides, home health aides, and related health care occupations: National and local workforce shortages and associated data needs. National Center for Health Workforce Analyses Bureau of Health Professions Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA). February 2004. Department of Health and Human Services.

    This report on the growing shortage of direct-care workers notes that the supply of certified nursing assistants (CNAs) and home health aides is declining while demand is growing at a record pace. The report finds that the shortage shows no signs of improving, and that it is a matter of retention, not recruitment: the problem is high turnover due to low pay, too few opportunities for professional advancement, and other factors.

    The report is based on a review of eight key federal data sets, CNA registries in 45 states and interviews and focus groups with long-term care providers and state officials in four states. The report notes the problem of developing an accurate picture of the shortage, due to data limitations including exclusions, inconsistency of definitions, and categorizations that are in some cases excessively broad.



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    Nursing home staffing standards in state statutes and regulations. Harrington, Charlene . January 2008. University of California San Francisco, Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences.

    This set of charts lists the state staffing standards for nursing homes in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. It summarizes the requirements for direct-care staff, as well as for licensed staff and caregiving staff overall; estimates the difference between the state requirements and the federal standard for facilities with 100 beds; and includes links to each relevant statute and regulation.

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    Paraprofessionals on the front lines: Improving their jobs; Improving the quality of long-term care. Wilner, Mary Ann, and Ann Wyatt. September 1998. AARP.

    This background paper explores the role of paraprofessionals in long-term care, highlighting the relationship between direct-care workers and their clients. After introducing basic demographic characteristics of the paraprofessional labor, the report assesses a variety of barriers to decent jobs and high-quality care, including staff shortages and high turnover; the association of caregiving with 'women's work'; inadequate supervision; and inadequate reimbursement keeping wages low. Includes an excellent list of references.

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    Results of the 2005 national survey of state initiatives on the long-term care direct-care workforce. Harmuth, Susan, and Susan Dyson. September 2005. The National Clearinghouse on the Direct Care Workforce and the Direct Care Workers Association of North Carolina.

    This is the fifth national survey of the direct-care workforce conducted by these authors. It examines public policy actions taken by states to strengthen the direct-care workforce, and updates information collected in prior surveys. Responses were received from 38 states, representing a 76 percent response rate.

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    State-by-state projected demand for new direct-care workers, 2006-16. PHI. December 2009.

    This chart presents occupational employment projections for direct-care workers in all 50 states, as well as Washington, DC. The projections are organized into three categories: home health aides; nursing aides, orderlies, and attendants; and personal and home care workers. Overall, there were approximately three million direct-care workers employed in the U.S. in 2006; by 2016, however, an additional one million positions must be filled in order to meet the rising demand for direct care.

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    State chart book on wages for personal and home care aides, 1999-2006. PHI. July 2008.

    This chart book provides information, based on data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, on the wages received by personal and home care aides in all 50 states and the nation over a 7‐year period. The publication provides information on nominal and real median wages, a time‐series graph analyzing state wages, tables comparing wages across states, a national summary, and technical notes.

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    State chart book on wages for personal and home care aides, 1999-2008. PHI. July 2009.

    This chart book provides information, based on data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, on the wages received by personal and home care aides in all 50 states and the nation over a 9‐year period. The publication provides information on nominal and real median wages, a time‐series graph analyzing state wages, tables comparing wages across states, a national summary, and technical notes.

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    State nurse aide training requirements, 2009. . 2009. PHI.

    This chart summarizes state requirements for nurse aide training programs that go beyond the federally mandated 75 hours of training.

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    States' requirements for Medicaid-funded personal care service attendants. Pattison, Brian T., et al.. December 2006. Office of Inspector General (OIG), Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).

    This report examines state requirements for personal care attendants and policies for oversight of those requirements. It finds significant variation, with 301 sets of attendant requirements nationwide. The six most common requirements are background checks, training, age, supervision, health, and education. However, states defined these differently. Frequency and scope of the review process also varied. The report concludes that more consistency or standardization may make monitoring attendant requirements less cumbersome and enhance quality assurance.

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    The cost of frontline turnover in long-term care. Dorie Seavey. October 2004. Better Jobs Better Care .

    This report details information known about the cost of turnover among direct-care workers. The author argues that it is important to track these costs and presents a framework for measuring them. Research findings indicate that: An expanded accounting model that includes direct and indirect costs provides the most accurate estimate of turnover costs; indirect costs, which tend to be overlooked, may be substantial; and the direct cost of turnover is at least $2,500 per frontline worker. The report offers recommendations for providers, policy makers, and researchers that are designed to improve overall understanding of the costs related to turnover and the effectiveness of various strategies intended to reduce those costs.

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    The future supply of long-term care workers in relation to the aging baby boom generation. Department of Health and Human Services and Department of Labor. May 2003. Department of Health and Human Services and Department of Labor.

    This report notes that the nation will need between 5.7 million and 6.5 million long-term care nurses, nurse aids, and home health and personal care workers to meet the needs of baby boomers by 2050. It lists a broad range of federal programs that work toward 'developing a committed and quality direct care worker pool in a variety of long-term care settings.' The report lists four issues that need to be addressed in order to retain current workers and attract new ones: 1) Finding workers in new populations 2) Conducting effective initial and continuing education and training 3) Improving working conditions in terms of hours, paperwork, respect, and safety 4) Improving compensation, benefits, and opportunities for advancement.

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    Who are direct-care workers?. PHI. January 2009.

    This fact sheet gives an overview of the direct-care workforce, describing job titles, responsibilities, worker demographics, wages, benefits, and the growing demand for workers.

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    Who will care for older people? Workforce issues in a changing society. Noelker, Linda S. Spring 2001. Generations , Vol. 25, No. 1.

    The articles in this special issue describe the nature and scope of the shortage of frontline workers in long-term care and make recommendations for strengthening this workforce. The three sections of this issue outline demographic issues and policy perspectives; address the particular problems of professionals in long-term care; and examine strategies for recruiting and retaining paraprofessionals, suggesting ways to increase job commitment, lower stress, and improve performance.

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    Who will care for us? Addressing the long-term care workforce crisis. Stone, Robyn I., and Joshua M. Wiener. October 2001. The Urban Institute and the American Association of Homes and Services for the Aging.

    This report analyzes current and future labor shortages across long-term care by analyzing factors that impact the supply and demand of direct-care workers. These factors include public policies as well as workplace culture and practices. The report also summarizes recent public and private efforts to address recruitment and retention issues and to develop a qualified, stable frontline workforce.

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    Workers who care: A graphical profile of the frontline health and health care workforce. Schindel, Jennifer, et al.. 2006. Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.

    This chart book provides comprehensive employment data on frontline health and health care workforce occupations. It includes three parts: a view of the frontline workforce as a whole; occupational variations across the workforce; and in-depth occupational profiles that provide key information such as per capita employment, occupational growth rates, reported wage gains, and other trends. Long-term care workers such as nursing aides, home health aides, and personal and home care aides are among those profiled.

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    Practice Profiles

    Practice Profiles are descriptions of recruitment, education and retention programs.

    1199SEIU: Helping workers access affordable child care programs

    Alzheimer's Association, Eastern North Carolina Chapter: Adult education methods for teaching dementia care

    Apple Health Care: Creating a worker- and resident-centered culture in nursing homes

    Ararat Nursing: Performance Improvement Quality Improvement (PIQI).

    Avante at Ormond Beach: Department head management training, nurse management training, and a staff advisory council

    Catalina In-Home Services: Recruitment and screening of caregivers for consumer-directed home care

    Cooperative Care: A worker-owned cooperative of caregivers

    Cooperative Home Care Associates: Employment counseling

    Cooperative Home Care Associates: Integrated model for recruitment, training, and retention

    Direct CareGiver Association: Comprehensive model training program for caregivers

    Foundation for Long-Term Care (FLTC): Growing Strong Roots Peer- Mentoring System

    Genesis Eldercare: Geriatric Nursing Assistant Specialist (GNAS) program

    George G. Glenner School of Dementia Care: Dementia care specialist training program

    Golden Care Academy

    Home Care Associates: The 4Ps

    Hope Haven, Inc.: Career ladder for direct support professionals

    Iowa CareGivers Association: Certified nursing assistant mentor training program

    Kahl Home: Employee assistance program

    Leelanau Memorial Health Center: Strategies to Reduce Turnover

    Linking Employment, Abilities, and Potential (LEAP) of Cuyahoga County: Personal care attendant and state tested nurse aide training

    Loomis House: Inspiring workers through education and resident-centered care

    Luther Manor Nursing Home and Retirement Center: Train the Mentor

    Marian Estates: Individualized bathing

    Marian Estates: Peer mentoring program

    Martin Luther King Economic Development Corporation: Maximizing Opportunity in a Restructuring Economy (MORE)

    Masonic Home of New Jersey: Peer mentoring preceptor program

    Mather Life Ways: LEAP for a 21st Century Workforce

    Mennonite Manor: Manor Care Attendant (MCA) program

    Mercy Health Partners: Quality improvement process

    NewCourtland Elder Services: Employee PRIDE program. PRIDE stands for Provide Respect, Incentives, Career Development, and Education

    Northern Pines Community: Culture change initiative

    OHI: Comprehensive retention program for direct support professionals

    Presbyterian Home of Moshannon Valley: Kaleidoscope Initiative

    Rest Haven Christian Services: Director of CNAs

    San Francisco In-Home Supportive Services Public Authority: Improving the quality of direct-care workers' jobs

    Schoellkopf Health Center: Consistent scheduling

    Sisters of Bon Secours Nursing Care Center: Wage Parity Initiative

    St. Peter Villa Nursing Home: Career ladder

    The Care Advantage Nurse Aide Academy: Certified nursing assistant training program

    The Good Faith Fund: Careers in Health Care

    The Ray Graham Association: Community learning center mentoring program

    The Shirley Ware Education Center: Certified nursing assistant training program

    The Topeka Independent Living Center, Inc.: Personal Assistant Management Services (PAMS)

    Vinfen Corporation: Self-managed teams

    Visiting Nurse Service of New York: Recognizing Home Health Aides As Vital Partners in Quality Improvement

    Wellspring Innovative Solutions, Inc.: The Wellspring model of quality improvement

    WIN A STEP UP: Improving job quality and increasing retention



    Key Contacts

    These individuals and organizations are included here because they are actively involved in leading direct-care workforce activities in this state.


    Nursing Assistant Resources on the Web
    www.nursingassistants.net

    e: mail@nursingassistants.net


    National Association for Home Care (NAHC)
    www.nahc.org

    228 7th Street, SE
    Washington, DC, Entire US 20003
    t: (202) 547-7424


    American Health Care Association (AHCA)
    www.ahca.org

    1201 L Street, N.W.
    Washington, DC , Entire US 20005
    t: (202) 842-4444


    American Association of Homes and Services for the Aging (AAHSA)

    2519 Connecticut Ave., NW
    Washington, DC , Entire US 20008
    t: (202) 783-2242


    Family Caregiver Alliance

    180 Montgomery St.
    Suite 1100
    San Francisco, CA , Entire US 94104
    t: (415) 434-3388 or (800) 445-8106
    e: info@caregiver.org


    The Urban Institute
    www.urban.org

    2100 M Street, N.W.
    Washington, DC , Entire US 20037
    t: (202) 833-7200


    The Hudson Institute
    www.hudson.org


    National Alliance for Direct Support Professionals (NADSP)
    www.nadsp.org


    The Research and Training Center on Community Living , University of Minnesota
    rtc.umn.edu/main/

    Amy S. Hewitt, Ph.D.
    204 Pattee Hall
    150 Pillsbury Drive S.E.
    Minneapolis, Entire US 55455
    t: (612) 625-1098
    e: hewit005@umn.edu


    The Workforce Alliance
    www.workforcealliance.org

    Andy Van Kleunen
    1701 K Street, NW
    Suite 750
    Washington, D.C. , Entire US 20006
    t: (202) 338-0737
    e: info@workforcealliance.org


    Service Employees International Union (SEIU)
    www.seiu.org

    Cathie Sullivan, Home Care Policy Analyst
    1313 L Street, N.W.
    Washington, DC 20005, Entire US t: (202) 898-3275
    e: sullivac@seiu.org


    National Commission on Nursing Workforce for Long-Term Care

    Dr. Brian Biles
    t: (202) 416-0066
    e: bbiles@gwu.edu


    National Network of Career Nursing Assistants
    www.cna-network.org

    Genevieve Gipson RN MEd RNC
    3577 Easton Road
    Norton, OH , Entire US 44203
    t: (330) 852-9342
    f: (330) 852-9378
    e: cnajeni@aol.com


    National Association for Direct-Care Workers of Color
    www.directcareworkersofcolor.org

    John Booker
    t: (574) 289-9326
    e: jbooker@directcareworkersofcolor.org


    Culture Change Now
    www.culturechangenow.com

    LaVrene Norton
    t: (414) 258-3649
    e: lavrene@actionpact.com


    The Direct Care Alliance (DCA)
    www.directcarealliance.org

    Leonila Vega, Esq., Executive Director
    349 East 149th Street, 10th Floor
    Bronx, New York , Entire US 10451
    t: (718) 928-2063
    f: (718) 585-6852
    e: LVega@directcarealliance.org


    National Association of Geriatric Nursing Assistants (NAGNA)
    www.nagna.org

    Lisa Cantrell
    2709 West 13th Street
    Joplin, MO, Entire US t: 800-784-6049
    e: info@nagna.org


    National Association of Health Care Assistants (formerly NAGNA)
    www.nahcacares.org

    Lori Porter
    2709 West 13th Street
    St. Joplin, MO, Entire US 64801
    t: (417) 623-6049
    e: lporter@nahcacares.org


    Institute for the Future of Aging Services
    www.futureofaging.org

    Robyn I. Stone
    2519 Connecticut Avenue, NW
    Washington, DC , Entire US 20008
    t: (202) 508-1208
    e: rstone@aahsa.org


    The Pioneer Network
    www.pioneernetwork.net

    Rose Marie Fagan
    PO Box 18648
    Rochester, New York , Entire US 14618
    t: (585) 271-7570
    e: RoseMarie.Fagan@PioneerNetwork.net


    Paraprofessional Healthcare Institute (PHI)
    www.paraprofessional.org

    Steve Edelstein, National Policy Director
    349 East 149th Street
    10th Floor
    Bronx, NY , Entire US 10451
    e: Edelstein@paraprofessional.org




    Government Offices

    Administration on Aging
    www.aoa.gov

    Washington, DC , Entire US 20201

    The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ)
    www.ahrq.gov

    540 Gaither Road
    Rockville, MD , Entire US 20850
    t: (301) 427-1364
    e: info@ahrq.gov

    Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation (ASPE), U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
    aspe.hhs.gov/_/index.cfm

    200 Independence Avenue, S.W.
    Washington, D.C., Entire US 20201

    Administration on Aging
    www.aoa.gov

    Washington, DC, Entire US 20201
    t: (202) 619-0724

    The Clearinghouse for the Community Living Exchange Collaborative
    www.hcbs.org

    Division of Long Term Care Policy
    aspe.hhs.gov/daltcp/home.shtml

    Andreas Frank, Director
    US Department of Health & Human Services
    Office of Disability, Aging, and Long-Term Care Policy, (ASPE)
    Washington, D.C. 20201, Entire US (202) 401-7123
    e: andreas.frank@hhs.gov

    The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS)
    www.cms.hhs.gov

    Kate King, Health Insurance Specialist
    7500 Security Blvd.
    Mail Stop S2-14-26
    Baltimore, Maryland , Entire US 21244-1850
    e: Kking@cms.hhs.gov

    US Department of Labor , Employment & Training Administration (ETA)
    www.doleta.gov/

    Laura Ginsburg, Office of Apprenticeship Training, Employer and Labor Services
    200 Constitution Avenue, NW
    Suite N4671
    Washington, DC , Entire US 20210
    t: (202) 693-2803
    e: ginsburg.laura@dol.gov

    U.S. Department of Labor, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Policy (OASP)
    www.dol.gov/asp/welcome.html

    Stephanie Swirsky
    200 Constitution Avenue, NW
    Room S2312
    Washington, DC , Entire US 20210
    t: (202) 693-5909
    e: swirsky.stephanie@dol.gov

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