Employers say shortage of home care providers likely to worsen

Business is good, nearly doubling in the past three years, Michael Juceam says.

He has owned Right at Home, a private duty home health care agency in Manatee and Sarasota counties, since 2004. But he has run into a shortage of caregivers because of increased demand for in-home care.

“We are facing a caregiver shortage nationwide. We have a silver tsunami coming,” Juceam said of the baby boomer generation. “The average person who needs our service is 80 years old. When the baby boomers turn 80, the need for caregivers will be even greater than today.

“We need as many people as we can get. I could use 30 caregivers right now.”

There is an acute need for registered nurses, licensed practical nurses, home health aids, certified nursing assistants (CNAs) and homemaker companions, Juceam said.

Also feeling the shortfall is Henry Haitz, owner of Homewatch CareGivers.

“There are two challenges: the supply-demand gap, and recruiting and retaining the best people,” Haitz said.

There is a large gap in the number of home assistants needed and those available, said Haitz, who opened his business in Lakewood Ranch earlier this year.

Among those trying to meet the snowballing need are Manatee Technical College and the State College of Florida Manatee-Sarasota.

Joan Barrese, now in her sixth year as coordinator of health education at MTC, said market demand for her graduates has grown the past couple years.

“I receive several phone calls a week looking for CNAs or home health aids,” Barrese said.

In addition to technical skill, MTC also looks for dependability, empathy and kindness in its graduates.

“It’s a tough job,” Barrese said.

There is a huge focus on home health care providers and some employers are offering signing bonuses for CNAs, Barrese said.

Susan Elias, a patient care technician instructor at MTC, believes her school is doing all it can to meet the demand.

“But there is always going to be the need for good health care workers in this area with our aging population,” Elias said.

Elizabeth Chancey has worked in home health care and is now studying at MTC to become a certified nursing assistant.

“I just found that I wanted to take a step forward and learn more about what I was already doing and further my ability to help other people,” Chancey said.

Complementary to the health occupation training provided by MTC is the State College of Florida Manatee-Sarasota, which began offering a bachelor of science in nursing in 2010.

Debra Marr, SCF’s program chair for the associate of science in nursing program, said the college produces 140 to 160 RNs a year. A majority of them will go to work at an acute care facility.

“We do have some students who choose to work in the home health care environment and may graduate, take a year of experience at an acute care facility or medical surgery and then enter the home health or community health environment,” Marr said.

For more information about MTC offerings visit manateetech.edu/programs. For more information about SCF programs, visit scf.edu/Academics/Nursing.

This story was originally published August 22, 2017 at 4:42 PM with the headline "Employers say shortage of home care providers likely to worsen."