In a recently published paper in the journal Health Affairs, center researchers H. Stephen Kaye, Susan Chapman, Robert Newcomer, and Charlene Harrington examined the boom in demand for personal assistance services workers (PAS workers). They note the tripling of the workforce between 1989 and 2004 which was a faster increase than the population needing services. Over the same period, Medicaid spending for those services increased dramatically. However, they note that the wages of those workers have fallen behind those of comparable occupations. Along with high turnover rates, they point to the potential for falling numbers of workers at a time when numbers of those needing this assistance will rise due to the aging population unless more attention is paid to ensuring a stable and well-trained workforce.

Press release from Health Affairs is available below.