As Arizonans age, the demand for qualified long-term care staff grows by the day. The work is difficult, the pay is relatively low and there is a shortage of people willing to provide this care. Immigrants could be the key to the state’s workforce shortage.
Throughout 2024, KJZZ's Kathy Ritchie reported on the challenges facing immigrants as they attempt to enter the long-term care sector.
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Direct care workers labor in long-term care settings and are, predominantly, women of color. In Arizona, about a quarter of them are also immigrants. Immigrants continue to be a vital part of this workforce. -
Most Americans 65 and older are going to need some form of long term care — either in nursing facilities or as they age in their own homes. But there’s a big shortage of long term care workers. Arizona will need to fill around 190,000 jobs in just a few years. Immigration could be a solution to this growing challenge. -
AHCA Works is an eight-week program that trained individuals, including refugees, to become certified nursing assistants or CNAs. It was funded through COVID-19 relief money, which ran out in June. -
Arizona is facing a workforce shortage in the long-term care sector. In fact, Arizona can expect to see around 190,000 direct-care job openings through 2030. The work is difficult and the pay is relatively low. It’s why one organization launched a program to recruit, train and retain workers. Now, it has issued its final report. -
As the demand for long-term care workers increases as Americans age, it’s becoming clear that more foreign-born workers are needed. Now, a long-term care organization is calling for immigration reform in order to fill vital, caregiving jobs. -
Arizona will need around 190,000 long-term care workers by 2030. That’s according to PHI, a national nonprofit that studies this workforce. The challenge is, many Americans don’t want to do this kind of work. Now, a long-term care organization is calling for immigration reform in order to fill vital, caregiving jobs.
