Who Will Care for Romania's Elderly? Less Than One in Five Employees Has Specialized Training

Romania is experiencing a significant deficit in trained specialists for elder care, with a recent World Bank report revealing that fewer than one in five employees in the sector has received specialized training. The diagnostic report on the training needs of the long-term care workforce in Romania, commissioned by the Ministry of Labor, underscores the fragmented and insufficient nature of current programs.

Despite social assistance institutions deeming professional training crucial, actual access to such programs remains limited, uneven, and often dictated by administrative obligations or specific situations rather than a structured career development path. This finding comes from the World Bank's diagnostic report, conducted as part of the ADAPT project, which aims to develop tailored training for specialists and informal caregivers working with the elderly.

The analysis, which combined questionnaires and focus groups with management teams, specialists from General Directorates for Social Assistance and Child Protection (DGASPC), social assistance departments (DAS), public social assistance services (SPAS), public and private social service personnel, and informal caregivers, revealed a stark reality. While DGASPC managers rated the importance of professional training at 9.71 out of 10, and DAS/SPAS managers at 9.28 out of 10, the data on actual training organization paints a different picture.

Out of 46 responding DGASPCs, only 18 (38.3%) have a training plan for 2026–2027. Moreover, 36 DGASPCs have not organized any training courses specifically for their staff in elder care over the past two years. At the local level, 667 responding DAS/SPAS reported 20,687 occupied positions, but only 3,755 employees, or 18%, participated in courses between 2024 and 2025. This means less than 20% of the workforce benefited from training during this period.

Access to training was also limited for essential professional categories. Only 29% of social workers and 17.4% of community nurses participated in courses. For the 773 professional personal assistants reported by DGASPCs, less than 15% received training. A key issue identified is that training predominantly functions reactively, tied to accreditation, licensing, inspections, or public visibility, rather than as a continuous process based on needs assessment and linked to professional performance. The report emphasizes that these training needs are not peripheral but directly impact the safety and well-being of the elderly.