Addressing the long-term care workforce crisis

(a) Workforce programs (1) Expansion of DOL workforce programs The Secretary of Labor, acting jointly through the Assistant Secretary for Employment and Training and the National Director for the Office of Job Corps of the Employment and Training Administration, shall establish new and expand existing education and training grant programs to support the expansion of the direct care workforce for purposes of caring for a rapidly aging population and providing home and community-based services to older adults and people with disabilities. Such programs shall include support for core certification and training requirements for the direct care workforce of assisted living facilities. (2) Expansion of HRSA workforce programs The Secretary of Health and Human Services, acting through the Administrator of the Health Resources and Services Administration, shall establish new and expand existing workforce education and training grant programs to address shortages in the direct care workforce serving the rapidly aging population and providing home and community-based services to older adults and people with disabilities. Such programs shall include support for core certification and training requirements for the direct care workforce of assisted living facilities. (b) Definitions In this section: (1) Assisted living facility The term assisted living facility means any licensed, registered, certified, listed, or State-regulated residence, managed residential community, building, or part of a building that provides, or contracts to provide, housing with supportive services on a continuing basis to individuals who— (A) are elderly or have a mental health, developmental, or physical disability; and (B) are unrelated by blood or marriage to the owner or operator of the residence, community, building, or part of a building, if the owner or operator is an individual. (2) Direct care workforce The term direct care workforce means a workforce that is composed of individuals who, in exchange for compensation, provide services at an assisted living facility to an individual who is elderly or who has a mental health, developmental, or physical disability, that promote such individual’s independence, including— (A) services that enhance independence and community inclusion for such individual, including traveling with such individual, attending and assisting such individual while visiting friends and family, shopping, or socializing; (B) services such as coaching and supporting such individual in communicating needs, achieving self-expression, pursuing personal goals, living independently, and participating actively in employment or voluntary roles in the community; (C) services such as providing assistance with activities of daily living (such as feeding, bathing, toileting, and ambulation) and with tasks such as meal preparation, shopping, light housekeeping, and laundry; or (D) services that support such individual at home, work, school, or any other community setting.