This Labor Day, EWA hopes you will join us in recognizing, celebrating, and supporting the work of the eldercare workforce.
Each year, on the first Monday in September, our country comes together to celebrate the contributions American workers have made to the strength of our nation. This year, we want to recognize the often over-looked eldercare workforce and reinforce the importance of the work they do each day. Whether it be health professionals, social workers, family caregivers, direct care workers, or others, these individuals play a critical role in keeping our loved ones healthy. And due to the aging of our society, we will be even more reliant on the eldercare workforce as it is estimated that by 2030, 3.5 million additional health care professionals and direct-care workers will be needed to adequately care for our older loved ones.
As we take steps to elevate the work of these individuals, we also know there is much to be done to strengthen this workforce. Training, career advancement, improved job quality and pay, and the expansion of team-based care models are just a few of the strategies we can explore to ensure our workforce is adequately prepared to care for our aging society.
In order to join us in this movement, we hope you will share your own care story. Many of us are providing care to an older adult but most of us don’t realize how many of our friends, neighbors, and colleagues are facing similar experiences. By putting a face on caregiving and the eldercare workforce, it reinforces that this isn’t an individual experience and ways to support this workforce are not an individual endeavor.
Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter with #TogetherWeCare to share your eldercare workforce experience.