States across the country are facing severe shortages in the direct care workforce that provides essential hands-on support for older adults and people with disabilities in their homes and communities. Low wages, limited benefits, demanding working conditions, and few opportunities for advancement contribute to high turnover and instability among this workforce. These challenges threaten access to home- and community-based services, undermine efforts to support aging in place, and increase pressure on family caregivers and institutional care systems.

In a West Health Mosaic blog post, CHCS senior program officer Torshira Moffett, MPH, explores policy options to help states stabilize and grow the direct care workforce. It highlights strategies states can use to bolster the direct care workforce — such as supporting higher wages and benefits, strengthening training and career pathways, improving data on the workforce, and partnering to support recruitment and retention — all with the goal of ensuring that older adults and people with disabilities can receive reliable care where they live.