Health & Medicine Forum for Justice in Health Policy: Where are the workers to support us as we age? 

We’re all aging. What changes need to be made to ensure Illinois employers have well-trained and fairly compensated workers across both the nursing home and home and community-based services sectors? How can we ensure quality in our long-term services and supports systems?

In June 2022, Health & Medicine Policy Research Group hosted a two-part virtual forum focused on the workers who provide personal care for older people in Illinois, both in the community and in residential nursing homes and other congregate living settings.

On Wednesday, June 8, we examined the newly passed Illinois Health and Family Services (HFS) nursing home reforms to improve both quality of care and workforce retention. In conversation with Health & Medicine Board Member Michael Gelder, panelists discussed perspectives from the state, nursing home associations, and the labor union. Watch Session One here.

On Wednesday, June 22, we focused on the home and community-based service workforce, with national, state, and direct service perspectives. Panelists shared opening remarks, engaged in a conversation with Robyn Golden (Health & Medicine Board Member and Associate Vice President, Social Work and Community Health, Rush University), and took questions from the audience. Watch Session Two here.

Illinois Aging Together is a statewide campaign for aging equity, seeking to advance legislation to form a cross-sector aging equity planning commission to develop a long-term strategic action plan for aging. This includes having a multi-sector approach to planning for both the service workforce that is needed as our population grows older and the aging of the workforce across industries.