Caring for seniors means sacrifice, diligence and unwavering commitment to a cause — and that is exactly what the caregivers at Colorado’s long-term care communities possess and display each and every day. As a regional nurse for Stellar Senior Living, I see firsthand the dedication that goes into caring for our residents. Each senior in our care becomes like family, brightening our days with their jokes and stories and giving each of our careers a distinct feeling of purpose as we give them the highest quality of care they not only require but also so greatly deserve. We have fought a global pandemic, but a new challenge has emerged as we now face a historic labor crisis. There are significant workforce shortages within the long-term care sector, which have been magnified by a pandemic-induced exodus of workers. Now, the Biden administration is considering implementing an unfunded federal minimum staffing mandate on nursing homes which will make this challenge considerably worse.
