Report: Rebuilding CCRC workforce requires attention to employees’ mental, physical well-being

Workforce shortages in the health care industry are nothing new. But even with creative incentives and initiatives, continuing care retirement / life plan communities continue to struggle to recruit and retain staff, particularly nurses, according to a new report from Ziegler. 

With staffing shortages in nursing, as well as dining, maintenance and housekeeping, current staff are working longer hours and taking on more responsibilities, leading to burnout and increased turnover rates, according to Ziegler. 

Communities have tackled workforce shortages in a variety of ways, including increasing wages. Senior living five-year wages increased by 30.9% from 2019 to 2023, outpacing those in the private sector, where wages grew by 24.4% in the same time period, according to an Argentum report. 

But a recent report from Hospital & Healthcare Compensation Service found that the pace of pay increases and sign-on bonuses, particularly for nursing staff at CCRCs, has slowed. The 2024-2025 CCRC Salary & Benefits Report noted that CCRCs continue to have high turnover rates for staff, as well as executives.  

States are taking matters into their own hands in some cases. In Minnesota, more than 200,000 long-term care workers could each qualify for up to a $1,000 bonus. Last year, Presbyterian Homes and Services converted part of an independent living and assisted living community into affordable housing for its employees.  

At the federal level, the Health Workforce Initiative from the Department of Human Services leverages programs across the agency to support recruitment and retention of health care workers through loan repayment, scholarships and training.  

Despite these efforts, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that the CCRC workforce has yet to fully rebound to pre-pandemic employment levels. The BLS projected 193,100 openings for registered nurses each year through 2032, and the National Council of State Boards of Nursing reported last year that 610,388 RNs said they intend to leave the workforce by 2027 due to stress, burnout or retirement. 

“As demographics push an unprecedented demand on the senior living industry, finding ways to recruit and retain staff in all areas of operation appears as though it will need to remain a top priority,” Ziegler Research Analyst Megan Cunningham wrote. “Issues of burnout and stress appear to remain a pressing issue among care workers, putting an emphasis on the need for programs to address the mental and physical well-being of workers, along with building an engaged workforce at the community level.”