Survey Finds 1 In 4 Senior Housing Caregivers Experience Food Insecurity

Around one in four caregivers have experienced some form of food insecurity over the past year, according to a newly updated report from Kare, a digital workforce marketplace for post-acute and senior living operators.

For the third part of its “Trauma and Resiliency” survey series, the company polled 1,142 certified nursing assistants, certified medication aides, licensed and vocational practical nurses and registered nurses of senior housing and care companies.

According to the report, a little more than a quarter of respondents, 27%, said they worried about or have experienced their food running out before they have enough money to buy more some time in the last 12 months.

That is almost double the general population of the U.S., of which 14.5% experience food insecurity, according to U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) data cited by Kare.

The report, released in January, is the third and final part of a series released in collaboration with the National Association of Health Care Assistants (NAHCA). Kare in earlier reports found that nearly a third of healthcare workers face medium and high levels of toxic stress and that less than half feel psychologically safe in their workplace.

Another 23% of respondents indicated they have experienced housing insecurity as well, where respondents indicated they were worried they may not have stable housing where they rent, own or stay in within two months. That percentage is significantly higher compared to the general U.S. population, which is around 12.9%, according to the CDC.

The caregiver population also reports significant stress in regard to financial strain, with 75% reporting they don’t feel they have enough money to pay their bills every month or financial quarter.

“The careforce is resilient, but their resilience comes at a high cost—one that cannot be ignored,” the report’s authors wrote.

The report suggests senior living communities focus investing in programs that “address housing, financial stability, food security, workplace wellbeing and mental health, while also providing sustainable jobs with a living wage and benefits.”

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