An analysis by KFF identifies characteristics that put long-term care workers at heightened risk for contracting COVID-19.
The 4.5 million people working in the field of long-term care (LTC) share many characteristics that put them at higher risk of coronavirus infection and make them “less suited to weather the financial and physical trials of getting sick,” according to a new KFF analysis.
These workers are disproportionately low-wage employees and they tend to have direct and frequent contact with patients, according to the report. Many are middle-aged or older, which puts them at greater risk for infection. Groups of color overall, and black individuals in particular, are disproportionately represented among these workers, and also account for a higher share of total COVID-19 cases in the U.S.
A heightened focus on infection control in LTC settings could help limit outbreaks and protect workers and care recipients, the authors maintain. But there are challenges associated with several infection control strategies. For example, home health workers “have been particularly overlooked in terms of their access to personal protective equipment, and many may be working without it,” write the authors.
While many low-wage workers are currently facing financial strain or job stress, LTC workers are facing added anxiety about their own health due to their higher risk of exposure to infection, write the authors. Offering them hazard pay may ease that anxiety, but it is unclear whether this measure could gain enough support to become law.
“As policy continues to evolve to address both the health and economic consequences of the coronavirus pandemic, attention to the needs of the LTC workers who are providing ongoing health and personal care to older adults and people with disabilities may help protect both workers and patients alike,” the authors conclude.