Eldercare Workforce Alliance


The Eldercare Workforce Alliance, a project of the Tides Center, is a coalition of 35 US national organizations that came together to focus on short- and long-term healthcare workforce issues relating to older adults. The Alliance helped pass the 2018 Raise Family Caregivers Act, supports ongoing funding for the Title VII Geriatrics Workforce Enhancement Program, and advocates for including elder care in government and professional policies, including related questions of educating and maintaining the labor force such care requires.

History

EWA was announced in 2009 at a Washington, D.C. meeting of more than two dozen organizations concerned about shortages and training needs in geriatrics, long-term services and supports, and related care roles. The alliance’s formation followed the Institute of Medicine’s 2008 call for expanded education and training across disciplines to meet the needs of an aging population.

Mission and activities

EWA describes its mission as advancing federal and state policies intended to strengthen and expand the eldercare workforce, including workforce recruitment and retention, education and training, and supports for family caregivers. The alliance publishes policy materials and advocacy resources and participates in policy discussions through letters, briefings, and submissions to government bodies.

Federal workforce training and geriatrics programs

EWA has advocated for funding and implementation of federal workforce programs related to geriatrics and eldercare, including training initiatives within the Public Health Service Act and workforce-related provisions in the Affordable Care Act.

Membership

EWA is composed of national organizations spanning professional associations, providers, consumer and caregiver organizations, workforce groups, and research and education entities. As of 2026, EWA’s website listed 35 member organizations and several federal agency participants designated as liaisons: