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Washington, DC—The Eldercare Workforce Alliance sent a letter to Congress Wednesday outlining the immediate needs of the workforce that cares for older adults during the COVID-19 pandemic. EWA is a coalition of 35 national organizations joined together to address the immediate and future workforce crisis in caring for an aging America, to sound the alarm for this largely invisible workforce and the older adults served during the COVID-19 pandemic. With organizations that represent consumers, family caregivers, the direct-care workforce, and healthcare professionals– our coalition has proposed practical solutions to strengthen our eldercare workforce and improve the quality of care for over a decade.
“Our nation faced a severe and growing shortage of eldercare professionals with the skills and training to meet the unique healthcare needs of older adults before the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Amy York, Executive Director of the Eldercare Workforce Alliance. “While Congress has responded with modest improvements over the last decade, this letter highlights our collective expertise to address the immediate needs of this sector as we fight the COVID-19 pandemic.”
The letter outlines five key areas that Congress can address immediately to support the workforce that cares for older adults during this pandemic:
• Workforce Protection and Testing
• Training the Workforce and Building the Pipeline to Meet Escalating Needs
• Expanding Geriatrics Experts
• Expanding Access to Telehealth
• Expanding Paid Leave, Child Care Assistance and Tax Relief
EWA has compiled a number of COVID-19 workforce related materials on our website at www.eldercareworkforce.org . Please contact Brett McReynolds at bmcreynolds@eldercareworkforce.org if you have any questions.