The senior care industry in the San Diego/Imperial region is facing an urgent crisis. A new study by the San Diego/Imperial Center of Excellence (COE) found that the region’s population aged 65 and over is expanding rapidly—7% since 2020—indicating the region will need more services to accommodate a larger population of seniors. Currently, senior care living facilities can only accommodate 8% of the 65 years old and over cohort in San Diego County and 3% in Imperial County. Compounding this shortage is employers’ limited ability to meet the expanding demand for senior care workers, a shortage current training programs in the region need to address.
To support the region with these challenges, the San Diego & Imperial COE partnered with Mod Research Consulting and Insyt Analytics to study the issue and evaluate workforce needs. The research team analyzed labor market information to identify employment trends and conducted a survey with 342 current and former senior care professionals.
Based on the findings from this research, the community colleges are encouraged to:
- Establish clear program pathways to guide students and workers toward continued career advancement as recent legislation increased wages for “Home Health and Personal Care Aides.”
- Enhance program recruitment strategies by promoting the industry’s positive community impact, potential for personal and professional fulfillment, and development of valuable transferable skills.
- Develop strong partnerships with employers to expand work-based learning training programs, such as apprenticeships, and create a larger pipeline of skilled workers.
- Provide resources such as community education seminars and workshops for families and older adults navigating senior care, and partner with agencies to connect community members with these critical resources.
To learn more about this study, download the report here.