As Arizonans age, the demand for qualified long-term care staff grows by the day. 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.
Dave Voepel is the CEO of the Arizona Healthcare Association, which represents skilled nursing homes. In 2022, his organization received a $6.5 million grant to address the workforce shortage in long-term care. They called it AHCA Works. The goal was to recruit 1,500 workers.
"And we recruited 2,217 students into the long-term care workforce in both assisted living and skilled nursing facilities."
Even more exciting, he says, is the retention rate.
"89% retention over the past 30 days. And more importantly, if you look out 120 days, those numbers are still pretty high. I mean, it's over half. I think the number was somewhere in the 60% range."
Voepel says one reason retention was so high was that participating facilities had to have two staff serve as trained preceptors. They supported new caregivers as they learned the ropes.
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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. -
On Tuesday, AHCCCS, Arizona’s version of Medicaid, notified five health care plans involved with the state’s long-term care program that it will extend a one year contract to current carriers. -
Thousands of elderly and physically disabled members of Arizona’s Long-Term Care System could soon be transitioned to new health plans. The change has been described as confusing by some. -
AHCCCS has decided to press on with plans to transition the health plans of thousands of elderly and physically disabled members to new ones. The decision means the agency is disregarding a judge’s recommendation that it cancel the new contracts and start the process over again after it was determined their process was flawed. -
Nearly 10% of Americans 60 and older have used marijuana, according to data from the National Survey of Drug Use and Health. Many use marijuana to help with pain or aid sleep. And the fact that marijuana is legal in several states, including Arizona, makes it all the more accessible.
