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By Mr. KOHL:
S. 3730. A bill to expand, train, and support all sectors of the health care workforce to care for the growing population of older individuals in the United States; to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
Mr. KOHL. Mr. President, I rise today to introduce the Retooling the Health Care Workforce for an Aging America Act, a bill that will address the impending and severe shortage of health care workers who are adequately trained and prepared to care for older Americans. The unfortunate fact of the matter is that while our country is aging rapidly, the number of health care workers devoted to caring for older Americans is experiencing a shortage--one that will only grow more desperate as the need for these caregivers skyrockets.
We face many challenges. We know that few nursing programs require coursework in geriatrics and that in medical schools, comprehensive geriatric training is a rarity. Currently, only 1 percent of all physicians are certified geriatricians, even as the population of older people is on track to double by 2030, and less than 1 percent of all nurses are certified gerontological nurses. Absent any change, by 2020, the supply of nurses in the United States will fall 29 percent below projected requirements, resulting in a severe shortage of nursing expertise relative to the demand for care of frail older adults.
Ensuring that health care workers are properly trained in the provision of care to our seniors is vital. For the direct care workforce, which includes home health aides and personal care attendants, we know that Federal and State training requirements vary enormously, despite the fact that studies show that more training is correlated with better staff recruitment and retention. We also know that family caregivers want enhanced education and training to develop the necessary skills to provide the best possible care for an ailing family member. There are more than 44 million people providing care for a family member or friend nationwide. These caregivers frequently do the same work as a professional caregiver, but they do so voluntarily and with little or no training. To their loved one, they are the doctor, the nurse, the assistant, the therapist, and oftentimes the sole source of emotional and financial support.
Fortunately, knowing what we need to change is half the battle. The bill I introduce today will expand, train, and support the workforce that is dedicated to providing care for the older members of our population, incorporating the major recommendations for improving the skills and preparedness of the health care workforce put forth in the Institute of Medicine report, ``Retooling for an Aging America: Building the Healthcare Workforce.''
By the year 2020, it is estimated that the number of older adults in need of care will increase by one-third. The United States will not be able to meet the approaching demand for health care and long-term care without a workforce that is prepared for the job. Bolstering the health care workforce will be an integral part of national health care reform, and I look forward to working with Finance and HELP Committee leaders on incorporating this legislation into their policy proposals.
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