As we look to the changing workforce landscape in our state and across the country, it’s clear our aging demographic shift will also impact the need for caregivers.

According to PHI, an institute that provides services in support of long-term care providers, data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) shows that “the total direct care workforce will be larger than any single occupation in 2026.”

PHI defines the “direct care” workforce as personal care aides, home health aides and nursing assistants.

BLS has projected that between 2016 and 2026:

• The direct care workforce may grow by an additional 1.4 million workers by 2026.

• Nationally there could be as many 7.8 million direct care job openings that need to be filled.

• Michigan alone could need more than 34,000 additional direct-care workers by 2026.

There are CMF members working to address the impending caregiver gap.

The Ralph C. Wilson Jr. Foundation (RCWJF) recently announced the launch of THRIVE, a new $20 million partnership to support caregivers and improve retention rates.

The foundation and its partners shared in a press release, “Healthcare is projected to be the largest employment sector in the U.S. economy by 2026, and the fastest growing occupations in the sector are 'direct care' or 'front-line' caregivers. But despite the number of job openings, recruitment and retention of caregivers remains a pervasive challenge. Many caregivers may also face barriers to success which can lead to high rates of turnover.”

Transformational Healthcare Readiness through Innovative Vocational Education (THRIVE) will be piloted in three regions including Southeast Michigan.

The THRIVE program will include:

• Screenings to proactively identify caregivers most at risk of encountering work readiness and success barriers.

• One on one coaching.

• THRIVE curriculum and resources for new hires.

“The program sits at the intersection of two of our grantmaking focus areas - caregivers and workforce development,” David Egner, president and CEO of RCWJF said. “And with caregiver recruitment and retention being a challenge that exists beyond the foundation’s two primary geographies of Western New York and Southeast Michigan, our hope is for THRIVE to serve as a sustainable model that can be implemented nationwide.”

RCWJF also funded research around family caregiving to examine the challenges and the impact of caregiving on an individual.

The Ann Arbor Area Community Foundation (AAACF) has commissioned research studies to better understand the needs of caregivers and seniors in Washtenaw County. In late 2018 the Glacier Hills Legacy Fund of AAACF announced the winners of a competition designed to catalyze high impact innovation and solutions for seniors and their caregivers.

The conversation on caregivers continues later this month. On Wednesday, May 22 hear from the RCWJF, Presbyterian Villages of Michigan Foundation and others in CMF’s Michigan Grantmakers in Aging Affinity Group webinar, Caregiving: An Economic Issue for Employers, Communities and Families.