MEDIA ADVISORY

Mar. 13, 2006

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Kendra Beach, (202) 293-6200, ext. 212

High Job Turnover in the Long-term Care Workforce a Growing Problem

Simple Solutions to Improve Job Retention Can Provide Better Care for Elderly, Disabled

Anaheim, Calif. – Wages and benefits play a decisive role in retaining experienced and qualified long-term care workers. In addition, proactively encouraging home care workers to stay in the field is key to strengthening and growing the pool of long-term care workers. As a result, the quality of care these workers provide can be improved for disabled and elderly patients. Recent research findings from Better Jobs Better Care to be released on March 18, will outline effective ways to retain staff and improve work environments, efforts that can improve long-term care workers’ ability to provide quality care.

Recruitment and retention of workers in the long-term care field is a nationwide problem, especially as demographics shift as the baby boomer population ages. In order to address this shortage of workers, innovative solutions must be implemented to ensure better jobs for long-term care workers as a step toward better quality care.

What:	Research briefing Recent Findings on California’s Home Care Workforce: Expanding the Labor Pool for Consumer-Directed Care
When:	Mar. 18, 4:00p.m. to 5:00p.m. Pacific Time
Where:	2006 Joint Conference of the National Council on the Aging and The American Society on Aging Hilton Anaheim, the Press Presentation Room (El Capitan Room, 4th Floor), 777 Convention Way Anaheim, Calif. 92802
Who:	Robyn Stone, DrPH, program director of Better Jobs Better Care, executive director, Institute for the Future of Aging Services and senior vice-president for research, American Association of Homes and Services for the Aging, Washington, D.C. Candace Howes, PhD, associate professor of economics, Connecticut College, New London, Conn. Walter Furman, MPhil, senior researcher, School of Public Affairs, University of California, Los Angeles, Calif.

Better Jobs Better Care is a 4-year $15.5 million research and demonstration program funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and The Atlantic Philanthropies. Its goal is to achieve changes in long-term care policy and practice that help to reduce high vacancy and turnover rates among direct care staff across the spectrum of long-term care settings and contribute to improved workforce quality. Better Jobs Better Care is directed and managed by the Institute for the Future of Aging Services, American Association of Homes and Services for the Aging (AAHSA). For more information about Better Jobs Better Care, visit www.bjbc.org.