To Örebro University

BACKGROUND: Population ageing has an impact on the need for long-term care (LTC) because functional limitations increase with age. Most older adults require support from family or formal LTC providers; thus, there is an urgent need for strategies to strengthen LTC workforce recruitment and retention.

OBJECTIVE: To conduct an umbrella review to assess the strategies used to improve recruitment, retention, working conditions, and skills development of the formal LTC workforce. METHODS: Following the PRIOR guidelines and after protocol registration on PROSPERO, we conducted an umbrella review and searched four databases: MEDLINE, Embase, CINAHL, and Web of Science for intervention studies between 1946 and June 2024. Eligible studies were systematic reviews of interventions targeting formal LTC workers caring for adults aged 60 years and older. Two reviewers screened, extracted data, and appraised methodological quality.

RESULTS: Of 10,475 screened articles, 19 reviews met the inclusion criteria. Continuing professional development and peer-led training consistently improved staff knowledge and competencies, and sometimes job satisfaction and turnover. The evidence for well-being programs and policies was limited and heterogeneous; overall, most reviews were of low quality.

CONCLUSIONS: Future research should improve the context and workforce roles, adopt standardized outcomes, and rigorously evaluate organizational and policy interventions.