In rural areas of the United States, there are approximately 35% fewer home care workers to care for the aging population than in urban areas.
This is the result of a study by the University of Minnesota, which was commissioned by the Population Reference Office (PRB), a private, non-profit research organization that receives funding from the U.S. Census BureauThe researchers found that in rural areas, there are an average of 32.8 home care workers per 1,000 older adults, while in urban areas, there are an average of 50.4 such workers per 1,000 older adults.
Not only do rural areas of the country have a higher concentration of older citizens, they also lack the skilled workers needed to help these older people grow old in their own homes, according to a PRB report released in July.
“In addition, there are only 20.9 care assistants per 1,000 older adults in rural areas, compared to 25.3 in urban areas – a gap of 17 percent,” the report said. “These differences underscore geographic inequalities in the availability of care that may limit who is able to age in place.”
The researchers have several possible explanations for this gap, including lower wages, problems with job quality and a lack of investment “in the direct care workforce, such as job training programs and financial incentives for workers.”
Population ageing also plays a role in the availability of care, as some regions have more older residents than others.
“Regionally, New England, home to some of the oldest states in the country, has some of the lowest rates of home health aide and nursing assistant employment – in both rural and urban areas,” the report says. The co-authors of the original study attribute this to “population demographics” that “determine their direct labor supply.”
To address this shortage, some states have implemented policies to increase nursing workforces, including “wage increases, health insurance options, and free and easily accessible training,” the report said.
The shortage of direct labor has led to friends and family members of older residents in these parts of the country trying to fill the gap.
“The United States has experienced profound demographic changes – in marriage, partnerships, fertility and family size, blended families and lack of kinship,” the report says. “These trends affect the number and types of family members who can care for Americans as they age.”
