At a policy forum to discuss long-term care workforce solutions, Argentum’s senior vice president of public policy Maggie Elehwany argued that the senior living workforce challenge is no longer a future concern, but a present-day reality that will only intensify as America’s population ages.
The forum was hosted by The Hamilton Project at the Brookings Institution, and focused on how policymakers can strengthen the nation’s ability to meet growing long-term care needs, including the role immigration policy can play in supporting the caregiving workforce. During a panel on immigration and long-term care, Elehwany highlighted Argentum’s support for a dedicated visa category for direct care workers.
The proposal would create a new pathway for qualified caregivers to enter the United States workforce at a time when providers across the country continue to struggle with recruitment and retention challenges. According to Brookings, the number of Americans age 65 and older is projected to grow from 65.6 million to 77.5 million over the next decade, creating significant additional demand for long-term care services.
Argentum has consistently advocated for a comprehensive workforce strategy that includes career development, training, retention initiatives, and foreign-born worker reforms, by expanding the available labor pool to ensure older adults continue to have access to high-quality care and support.
The Brookings forum also featured representatives from the National Council on Aging, the National Domestic Workers Alliance, and leading policy research organizations. In conjunction with the event, The Hamilton Project released new research examining workforce shortages and proposing policy solutions to address growing care demands.
For senior living providers, the conversation underscores an increasingly urgent reality: workforce policy is aging policy. Without sufficient caregivers, expanding access to care for older adults becomes significantly more difficult. As demographic trends accelerate, Argentum will continue advancing practical policy solutions that strengthen the workforce and support the nation’s aging population.