[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 8 (Wednesday, January 14, 2009)]
[Senate]
[Pages S393-S394]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. KOHL (for himself, Mrs. Lincoln, and Mr. Casey):
  S. 245. 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.

[[Page S394]]

  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 one percent of all 
physicians are certified geriatricians, even as the population of older 
people is on track to double by 2030, and less than one 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 care aides and personal care attendants, 
we know that 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.'' It has the support of many 
national organizations, such as AARP, the American Health Care 
Association, the American Association of Homes and Services for the 
Aging, Consumers Union, Family Caregiver Alliance, the National 
Alliance for Caregiving, the National Association of Area Agencies on 
Aging, Alzheimer's Association, the American Geriatrics Society, the 
National Association for Home Care and Hospice, Paraprofessional 
HealthCare Institute, the American Association of Geriatric Psychiatry, 
Alliance for Aging Research, and The Catholic Health Association.
  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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