Time With Sands – Care Workers Appreciation Month

April was just named Care Workers Appreciation Month! Is this a sign that we are moving in a direction to address the issues of our aging population?

– Cassandra J.

This was great news! We can certainly see this as a step in the right direction for the realities we are facing—and will continue to face—in the aging ecosystem. Care Workers are absolutely essential and yet they are “among the lowest-paid workers in America,” according to the White House’s “A Proclamation on Care Workers Appreciation Month.”

By 2030 we will have 1 Personal and Home Health Aide for every 33 people in need, if we continue on the path we’re on now. Gerontology programs and enrollments have dropped astronomically and 45% of U.S. medical schools do not require the study of geriatrics. This is a larger problem than many people realize.

This is exactly why I’m so adamant that the Longevity Economy and the study of Gerontology are important to develop now and into the future.

So yes, we are moving in the right direction, but we need to pick up speed. The Pandemic led to a shift in workers rights and a search for greater meaning and purpose. But without attention and funding even the most passionate workers cannot continue their work.

Our Care Workers are so important for our future. They have purpose, so let’s support them in every way we can. 

How are you showing the Care Workers in your community that you appreciate them? Are you being called to work in the field yourself? If so, what’s holding you back?