Want to protect the health of older Americans? Increase immigrant labor

Almost 10% of nursing home residents in the United States died of COVID-19 during the first year of the pandemic, an alarmingly high rate that far exceeds that of elderly Americans overall.

Many families are understandably hesitant to move aging loved ones into group care facilities as the virus continues. But even before the pandemic, most older Americans said they would prefer to age in place, according to AARP, living in their own homes and communities for as long as they can.

Doing so often means relying on regular home health aide visits or other at-home or community-based care — care that is disproportionately provided by immigrant workers. Immigrants are overrepresented in both lower-paid and higher-paid occupations in the health care field. Thirty-eight percent of all home health aides in the U.S. are foreign born, as are 28% of doctors.