You hardly need to be reminded that this has been a tough year for long-term care providers — and we’re barely into May.

How bad are things? This bad: On Thursday, LeadingAge felt compelled to send what amounts to a cease-and-desist letter to the White House. The correspondence takes issue with the less-than-flattering way some administration officials are portraying long-term care providers these days.

As evidence, the letter singles out an April 22 roundtable in LaCrosse, WI. There, the Number Two in Command was touting the feds’ rollout of a final MDS related- rule.

“Vice President Kamala Harris characterized care provided in nursing homes as neglectful — no one to help residents when they fall, comfort them when lonely, or serve them meals on time — and suggested widespread disregard by nursing home management for the staff who do the lion’s share of the direct care work,” the letter notes.

“This is no time to mislead the public and discourage potential employees from joining our ranks, it adds.

Oh, and did I mention that pending staffing rules were also released recently?

So, yes, the year is off to a pretty rough start.  It’s the kind of situation that begs for relief, of any kind.

Fortunately, it appears providers may have received a double dose Friday. That’s when the Labor Department reported that hiring slowed in April, when employers added a relatively low 175,000 positions. That’s the most meager increase since October.

In other words, the job market is, relatively speaking, tightening. That alone is certainly a welcome development for a sector that can seemingly never find enough workers to get the jobs done.

As a second added benefit, the cooldown reignited hopes the Federal Reserve may actually cut interest rates this year. And who doesn’t like paying less for money?

Friday’s news is hardly the salve that will turn the year around. But it beats another beat down.

And as any experienced sailor will tell you, any time you can find a safe harbor during a storm, take it.

John O’Connor is editorial director for McKnight’s.

Opinions expressed in McKnight’s Long-Term Care News columns are not necessarily those of McKnight’s.