David Fulcher, CEO

The most important job here at Milwaukee Catholic Home isn’t the CEO. It’s the caregiver. Our front line staff who provide hands-on care to our residents are the ones who make the biggest difference in their lives.

Recently, we’ve been hearing a lot about a caregiver crisis in Wisconsin. A recent survey of long-term and residential care providers revealed high numbers of open caregiver positions, problems finding qualified applicants for these positions, and an exodus of caregiver staff to jobs outside of healthcare. There are as many as 11,500 caregiver positions open throughout the state, and there is a sharp decline in the number of people seeking or renewing certification as nursing assistants.

What can we do to address this problem, and make sure our cherished older adults continue to be given the best possible care by qualified staff?

First, we can make caregiver jobs desirable. At Milwaukee Catholic Home, we are committed to offering competetive wages and benefits to our staff. We are proud to have members of our caregiving staff who have worked with us for decades! This longevity is a sign of our commitment to our staff and their job satisfaction.

Secondly, we can recognize that that caregiving is a difficult job, and show appreciation for these staff whose work often goes unnoticed. Our caregivers deserve to be celebrated! If you work in our industry, take the time today to thank a caregiver for their hard work and dedication to enriching the lives of older adults.

For more information about this study, The Long Term Care Workforce Crisis: A 2016 Report, contact me  (414.2203212 or dfulcher@milwaukeecatholichome.org), or John Sauer at LeadingAge Wisconsin (608.255.7060 or jsauer@leadingagewi.org).