Executive summary of the Senior Care Leadership Roundtable

The Senior Care Leadership Roundtable brings together industry experts from skilled nursing, senior living, and long-term care to address the most urgent workforce challenges facing providers today. Built on insights from more than 600 healthcare professionals across facilities, communities, and home-based care, the discussion examines the operational pressures, technology gaps, regulatory complexity, and financial constraints that continue to shape the senior care workforce landscape. Panelists offer practical solutions for improving retention, strengthening trust, and creating more sustainable workforce models as the industry moves into its next era.

Macro trends transforming the senior care workforce

Leaders highlighted several large-scale forces placing new demands on providers:

• Worsening staffing shortages and heightened turnover

• Narrowing financial margins for facilities and communities

• Care delivery shifting outside traditional walls

• Growing influence of Medicare Advantage on reimbursements

• Ongoing consolidation across the sector

• Persistent technology fragmentation

• Rising consumer expectations for transparency and quality 

These trends create intense pressure on administrators and frontline staff, amplifying operational challenges and accelerating workforce burnout.

Operational challenges slowing progress

Panelists discuss five core operational obstacles that continue to disrupt senior care organizations. Payroll complexity and frequent errors undermine staff confidence, especially as many caregivers rely on their paychecks to make ends meet. Compliance fatigue remains high as regulations change quickly and often. Many providers still rely on disconnected systems and manual processes that slow teams down and increase the likelihood of mistakes. Staffing shortages and burnout compound these issues, while growing dependence on agency labor strains budgets and disrupts continuity of care.

The retention gap between staff needs and organizational reality

Although care staff express a strong desire for higher pay, administrators often underestimate its value or lack the financial flexibility to offer increases. Payroll accuracy is equally critical, as even a single error can cause staff to lose trust and consider leaving. Beyond compensation, employees want better communication, more control over their schedules, and tools that make their work easier rather than harder. When these needs are not met, turnover rises and organizations struggle to maintain stability.

Technology gaps that create friction instead of support

Despite adopting multiple digital tools, most organizations still operate with systems that don’t integrate, forcing them to bridge gaps manually. This results in duplicated data entry, inconsistent workflows, and increased compliance risk. The panel emphasizes the need for unified, healthcare-specific platforms that streamline onboarding, scheduling, timekeeping, payroll, and compliance to reduce administrative burden and improve both staff and resident experience.

The rise of agency and gig work

This webinar highlights a clear shift toward agency and gig-based roles as caregivers seek higher pay and more autonomy. In some facilities, agency workers now represent a majority of the workforce. This trend, accelerated during the pandemic, is now creating long-term financial and cultural challenges. Providers and policymakers are exploring new ways to address agency costs and expand regulatory oversight, but sustainable progress will also require improving the experience of full-time staff.

A path forward for resilient workforce management

Panelists outline several promising approaches for organizations looking to stabilize their workforce. Improving payroll accuracy and visibility is essential for rebuilding trust. Automation can reduce compliance strain and administrative workload. Enhancing communication, scheduling flexibility, and professional growth opportunities helps strengthen engagement. Aligning reimbursement with actual care needs remains a critical area for policymakers to address so that providers have the resources required to invest in their teams.

Looking ahead

The senior care workforce crisis is significant, but the roundtable makes clear that meaningful progress is achievable. By modernizing technology, improving pay accuracy, reducing operational friction, and prioritizing the caregiver experience, organizations can build a more stable and resilient workforce. As the industry approaches 2026, these shifts will be essential to maintaining high-quality care and supporting the staff who make it possible.