TAMPA, Fla — Florida’s warm weather and beautiful beaches make picking a place to retire an easy choice for so many. It’s also why the need for long-term care employees is so vast.
“Regardless of who you’re going to contact in long-term care, they’re gonna tell you the same thing, that the workforce shortage in long-term care is an ongoing challenge,” said Nick Van Der Linden, the Director of Communications at Leading Age Florida.
Only made worse by the Pandemic.
“It made an already difficult job or difficult work even more challenging,” he said.
Nick Van Der Linden with leading Age Florida does think some folks in the industry experienced burnout last year when they not only took on the responsibilities of their job but then some.
“Once visitation was closed to loved ones and the general public, they became everything for the residents. They became their caretakers, their loved ones, their shoulder to cry on,” he said. “They became in essence their family.”
According to the latest national jobs report, health care employment is down by 542,000 jobs with 19,000 lost at Nursing care facilities.
“Things were really raw for a lot of people over the past year and this virus had a huge impact on the entire economy and especially on the labor market for working-class people.”
Michael Snipes, an Instructor of Economics at USF says while the jobs report may show a steady decline in the unemployment rate since last year it may not be painting the clearest picture. He says discouraged workers, which total 6.6 million people in April according to the latest jobs report are folks who want a job but gave up looking because they couldn’t find one.
“If I have individuals who gave up looking for work, who become a discouraged worker, that’s actually going to pull the unemployment numbers down,” he said. “So, it’s a little bit of an illusion here.”
He says many of these folks may be looking for a better wage or more flexibility to account for child care other financial responsibilities.
“We have been actively searching for new staff members for nurses, CNA‘s, PCAs, dietary, administrative support. Like, everybody because we are opening back up,” said Karen Tashman, the Director of Development and Communications at Menorah Manor.
Karen Tashman at Menorah Manor says they are offering employee referral bonuses plus sign-on and attendance bonuses in an industry that is already ahead of the game when it comes to wages.
“Many have already moved to the $15 an hour or higher even before the pandemic," said Van Der Linden.
And the skills can be taught.
“We are inviting people who want to learn how to be a CNA, to come here for their training,” Tashman said. “We’ll do on-the-job training and we'll see them through to paying for their testing and certification process.”
Click here for more information on opportunities in the long-term care industry through Leading Age Florida. Plus, you can look for employers near you with this map.
If you're interested in working at Menorah Manor, they are offering on-the-spot job interviews during business hours which oftentimes results in same-day job offers.
You can reach out to their HR department for more information by e-mail at HumanResources@Menorahmanor.org or by calling 727-302-3794.
