The U.S. Senate has introduced legislation to address the long-term care workforce crisis by increasing federal funding for direct care workers, advocates said on Friday.
Sen. Bob Casey, D-Pa., introduced the Long-Term Care Workforce Support Act, which would provide grants to nursing homes, home care, and assisted living facilities to help them raise wages and expand training and professional development opportunities for direct care workers, who provide essential care to older adults and people with disabilities.
The bill, supported by more than two dozen aging and disability organizations, has been endorsed by organizations representing direct care workers, older adults, and people with disabilities who rely on care to live with health and dignity, including the National Domestic Workers Alliance and the Service Employees International Union.
“Our care workers need and deserve good jobs, including better pay, benefits, and access to paid leave,” said Ai-Jen Poo, CEO and President of the National Domestic Workers Alliance.
“As the foundation of our entire workforce, these essential workers provide life-giving care that enables our families and communities to thrive — but without greater public investment, they remain trapped in cycles of poverty,” she added.