We're pleased to share that our latest study was recently featured in a major news publication, Politico. The comprehensive survey we conducted involving 450 home health care companies unveils startling facts about patient biases that are impacting workforce dynamics in the home health care industry.

Our survey findings revealed the prevalent, yet often overlooked, biases home health agencies struggle with when staffing caregivers to patients requesting caregivers of a specific age or race. The biases exacerbate the existing workforce shortage crisis within the home care industry.

One striking result of the survey pertains to age discrimination. A remarkable 83% of home health companies reported experiencing some level of a staffing difficulties because patients were not willing to accept care from younger workers. The irony is that younger individuals, faced with wage pressures, might be more willing to accept positions in the industry.

Then, there's a more complex challenge of racial biases. Companies report some level of "race-specific caregiver requests" from clients seeking caregivers that most often look like them. This kind of bias is deeply concerning, particularly when considering that people of color constitute 63% of the direct care workforce.

These pervasive biases have real-world implications as 89% of the home care agencies surveyed reported that they couldn't staff all care demands due to workforce shortages.

This study underscores the urgent need to address these biases and the impacts they have on both care delivery and the home health workforce. In our mission to make care better tomorrow than it is today, it's crucial to elevate conversations on equity, education, and bridging this gap to bring people together on common ground.

Access the full report here.