Iowa's nursing home worker shortage is double the national average

• That's almost double the national average of 22%, according to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, which examined four weeks of shortages ending April 23.

Zoom in: Rural nursing homes are especially facing "over-bedding," or when the capacity for residents is too high compared to staffing, Anderson says.

• Rural towns lean older, making it harder to properly staff nursing homes.
• There's also a lack of incentive to enter the care industry, which has an average hourly rate of $16, according to AARP of Iowa.

What they're saying: Iowa lawmakers approved $15 million earlier this year to go towards nursing homes and adjusting Medicaid rates for inflation.

• Anderson says he wants to see that funding help go towards alleviating worker shortages.

The big picture: More older Iowans are wanting to "stay-in-place" and live out their lives in their current homes, rather than the U.S. cultural norm of going to a care facility, Anderson says. That could help lower the need for more nursing home workers.

• Working towards this dynamic could include funding amenities like smart technology, voice control or grips for bathrooms, Anderson says.