Close up image of a caretaker helping older woman walk

Fifty-six percent of long-term care providers say fear of contracting the coronavirus is disrupting their ability to deliver care, according to a new survey by human capital management company Paycor.

In addition, the virus has put added pressures on the labor market, with 64% of respondents saying they are concerned about skilled staff leaving nursing homes for home healthcare.

Findings in “The State of the Long-term Care Industry: 2021” are based on a 10-minute, online survey conducted during the third quarter of 2020, with 2,600 responses from the leaders of small and mid-sized businesses. About 40% of respondents held finance leadership roles, with the other 60% from human resources management.

Overall, long-term care providers were 17% more concerned about compliance than other industries, with 77% saying they expect compliance to be more of a concern in 2021. But 39% do not use human capital management to mitigate risk. Only 8% said their HR technology is “very effective” at mitigating compliance risk.

The survey also underscores the weight of mental health concerns in the industry,  with 92% of respondents reporting they are concerned. That’s 7% higher than in non-healthcare industries. Nearly 70% of LTC providers said they would reevaluate their company benefits in 2021, but 44% weren’t sure if they would change their plan to address mental health.

“This suggests an education gap: LTC providers are simply not aware of how a benefits plan can help them,” Paycor reported.