Home Health Leads Senior Care Sector in Worker Demand, Report Finds

McKnight’s Home Care | By Diane Eastabrook 

The home health workforce is projected to grow a whopping 46% by 2040, representing the largest increase in the senior care sector. That’s according to a new report released Wednesday by Argentum, a trade association representing senior living facilities.
 
“The baby boomers are aging and will put a strain on our nation’s ability to provide senior care, supports and service,” Argentum researchers wrote in the report. “And, while our senior population grows, the American workforce is not keeping pace. We are facing a significant worker shortage across the economy generally but within senior care, in particular.”
 
The report said employment in the home health industry will reach 2.2 million by 2040, adding approximately 692,000 new jobs to the 1.5 million home health workers in 2021. Argentum also estimated home health will need to fill an additional 4.3 million positions as workers exit the industry or move to other occupations over the next two decades.
 
The report said demand will be strongest for home health and personal care aides, with 3.4 million workers needed for those jobs by 2040. Nursing assistants and registered nurses will also be in high demand filling 330,200 and 310,200 positions, respectively. The states that will see the strongest demand for home health workers by the end of this decade include Texas (415,800), New York (391,000) and California (156,000). 
 
The report reflects the changing demographics of an aging nation where 10,000 people are turning 65 each day. It also reflects the trend of seniors opting to age at home, rather than in a facility. Employment in senior living facilities is expected to grow just under 33% by 2040, while employment in skilled nursing is expected to decrease by 6.5%. 
 
Some of the states facing the most critical shortage of direct care workers are taking action. In January, New York took its first step in developing a master plan for aging which includes proposals for public-private partnerships to address long-term care initiatives. California, Texas, Colorado, Massachusetts and Minnesota have adopted similar plans.

Meet the 2023 APTA Home Health Award Recipients

The following recipients were nominated by various members of the Academy, and were selected based on the outlined criteria below by the executive committee of APTA Home Health. These Home Health Awards were presented to recipients at the APTA Home Health business meeting on Friday, February 24, 2023. 

To view award details and recipient bios, please click here. 

President's Award 

• Christopher Chimenti, PT

Excellence in Home Health Leadership Award

• Dr. Marcie Ganson, PT, DPT, MBA
• Dr. Suzanne Havrilla, PT, DPT
• Dr. Andrew Morgan, PT, DPT, MBA, COS-C
• Kandy Ortgies, PTA

Excellence in Home Health Clinical Practice Award

• Silke Mildenberger, PTA

Miss Out on San Diego? Catch Up with APTA CSM On-Demand!

What happens in San Diego doesn't stay there!  APTA CSM On-Demand will provide virtual access to approximately 100 educational sessions, plus digital posters. APTA CSM On-Demand allows you to experience the largest physical therapy conference in the country from anywhere, on your schedule. Gain up to 1.2 CEUs (12 contact hours) through successful completion of post-tests.

It all happens March 15 - April 15, 2023.

Those who attended APTA CSM in San Diego get free access to APTA CSM On Demand (without the ability to earn additional CEUs).

Click here to learn more! 

Opportunity to Serve on the 2023 NPTE Standard Review Task Forces

APTA Home Health was asked by a representative from the Federation of State Boards for Physical Therapy (FSBT) to forward the information below.  They are in dire need of PTs and PTAs with home health experience to help with the exam standard setting process that is this summer.

Participants will enjoy giving back to the profession in a meaningful way and collaborating with colleagues. FSBPT will be funding travel costs for attending the Standard Review Workshops, which will take place in person at FSBPT offices in Alexandria, Virginia.  Old Town Alexandria is a charming area to explore with close proximity to iconic sights in Washington, D.C. 

If you are willing to volunteer, please complete the brief survey below. Additionally, if you know PT or PTA clinicians or educators who would be interested in this type of work, please share this information with them. Prior experience with exam development or as a volunteer with FSBPT is NOT required or necessary to serve on these task forces.

Apply Online (Deadline THURSDAY, MARCH 9, 2023)
Plan to allow 10-15 minutes to submit. Please ensure your up-to-date curriculum vitae (CV) or resumé is ready to upload (or email to [email protected]). 
Click here to apply: https://survey.fsbpt.org/TakeSurvey.aspx?SurveyID=84KImp81

Background

In 2022, the Federation of State Boards of Physical Therapy (FSBPT) completed its latest analysis of the skills and knowledge needed by entry-level physical therapists (PTs) and physical therapist assistants (PTAs) to practice safely and effectively. From this practice analysis, FSBPT developed new content outlines for the National Physical Therapy Examination (NPTE). These updated content outlines are currently being used to develop new forms for the 2024 PT and PTA examinations. The next step will be for a diverse panel of experts to review the passing standard and make any recommendations for revision to FSBPT’s Board of Directors. If approved, these will become the new passing scores for the PT and PTA exams beginning January 2024.

2023 Standard Review Task Forces

FSBPT will convene two task forces to participate in standard review workshops. The workshop for the PTA exam will be held June 2-4, 2023, and the workshop for the PT exam will be held July 7-9, 2023. Each task force will consist of 12-15 members. Participants are selected to be representative of the profession in terms of practice setting, area of expertise, geographic location, and other demographics. The standard review process will be facilitated by an external expert in setting standards for high-stakes tests. Both workshops will be held in Alexandria, Virginia.

Questions

If you have questions about the standard setting workshops, please contact [email protected] and indicate “Standard Review inquiry” in the subject line. 

Thank you for your consideration!