What Makes a Caregiving Workplace Worth Staying For?

We’ve talked with a lot of caregivers over the years, and almost none of them left because they stopped caring about the residents. They left over schedules that wore them down, or because they couldn’t get hold of a supervisor when it mattered most.

That’s a big reason turnover in this field runs so high. Direct Support Professionals (DSPs) work with adults who have intellectual and developmental disabilities, and the 2024 National Core Indicators State of the Workforce survey found their turnover averaged 37% that year. Most of the people who left, close to two out of three, hadn’t even been there a year. Residents notice when someone they trust is suddenly gone. The rest of the team notices too, mostly in the extra shifts.

At LiveOak Living Community, a residential community near San Marcos, Texas, for adults with cognitive disabilities, this is something we think about constantly. Here’s what we’ve seen matter most to the caregivers who stay, and how we try to get it right.

Someone to Call When the Day Gets Hard

Every shift brings something unexpected. A resident might be having a rough morning, an outing might fall through, or a newer staff member might face a situation they haven’t handled before. In those moments, caregivers need to know who to call, and that the person on the other end will actually pick up.

Good leadership also means listening. DSPs notice things administrators often don’t, like a routine that isn’t working for a resident or a process that wastes everyone’s time. When those observations lead somewhere, people feel it. At LiveOak, we encourage open communication of ideas and concerns and want employees involved in solving work-related problems. Quarterly Town Halls give everyone a look at how the organization is performing financially and how their own work connects to it.

Recognition can make a huge difference. A supervisor who notices that someone helped a resident make real progress, and says so specifically, often means more than a certificate on the wall.

Schedules That Leave Room for a Life

Caregivers have kids, classes, second jobs, and families of their own. A workplace that ignores that will eventually lose them.

Residential care runs around the clock, so that no schedule will be perfect. Still, there’s a big difference between an employer that treats burnout as part of the job and one that plans ahead with adequate staffing, advance notice of changes, and some flexibility. LiveOak offers flexible scheduling as part of its benefits package, along with paid time off, group health and prescription insurance, life insurance, and short- and long-term disability coverage.

Training That Starts on Day One

Training That Starts on Day One

Most caregivers who quit do it in the first year. Often it’s because they got handed a schedule and not much else. Nobody wants to be in that spot.

New DSPs at LiveOak go through training before they’re working on their own. That covers the essentials like CPR, First Aid, and medication administration. It also covers how to support residents through hard moments, using positive behavioral supports and crisis prevention. New staff learn about the rights of people with disabilities, too, and how person-centered planning works day to day. Even with all that, the first few weeks take some getting used to, but people start out with a lot more to go on.

Training continues after orientation. Our employee-led Training Committee works to strengthen training programs, expand skill-building opportunities, and encourage continuing education. For staff still paying off school, LiveOak also offers a monthly student loan contribution.

Room to Grow

At LiveOak, growth hasn’t looked the same for everybody. A DSP who’s been here a few years might start training new staff. Someone else might join a committee and end up helping plan how the organization grows. Plenty of people just want to keep getting better at the work they already do. We try to ask staff where they want to go, then help them figure out how to get there.

At LiveOak, committee work is one of those paths. Along with the Training Committee, employees serve on the Culture & Engagement Committee, which handles things like milestone celebrations and internal communication, and the Growth & Development Committee, which looks at how LiveOak can expand its services over time. About half of our staff serve on a committee, which gives people real leadership experience regardless of job title.

A Share in What You Help Build

Support, workable schedules, training, and room to grow are things any good employer should offer. Employee ownership adds another layer.

In April 2025, LiveOak became an Employee Ownership Trust (EOT). A trust holds a controlling stake in the company on behalf of employees, so staff never have to buy shares but still share in the organization’s success. Employees become vested employee-owners after working 1,000 hours, and more than 75% of our staff are employee-owners today. Our first profit-sharing distribution went out in February 2026, within the first year of the EOT, which is earlier than many newly employee-owned organizations reach that point.

As our CEO, Rachel Medina, puts it: “Our staff aren’t just providing care — they’re part of something bigger.”

We see ownership as something that works best on top of the basics. Fair pay, solid training, and leaders who answer the phone still come first. What ownership adds is a direct line between the work people do every day and where LiveOak goes next. You can read more in our post on our first year as an EOT, or in Employee Ownership in Long-Term Care, written by our leadership team for the Texas Assisted Living Association.

Frequently Asked Questions About Caregiving Jobs

What makes a caregiving job worth staying in?

Ask caregivers why they stay and you’ll hear about the residents first. After that, it usually comes down to the job itself. Does the pay cover the bills? Is the schedule something you can plan your week around? Did anyone train you before you were on your own, and is there someone to call when a shift goes sideways? People also want to see a future, whether that’s a promotion or just getting better at the work. If most of those answers are yes, people tend to stay.

How does employee ownership affect caregiver retention?

It gives employees a stake in how the organization performs. At LiveOak, that includes profit sharing, employee-led committees, and quarterly Town Halls where financial results are shared openly. Ownership works alongside good management and benefits and doesn’t replace them. Learn more on our Employee Ownership page.

What should I ask before accepting a caregiver job?

Ask what training you’ll get before working on your own, how scheduling works, and who you can reach when you need help. Ask about health insurance, retirement, and paid time off, and whether there are ways to advance. If the employer is employee-owned, ask how and when you become an owner.

How do I apply to work at LiveOak Living Community?

Visit our Join Our Team page to see the full benefits package and download the application. Send your completed application to info@liveoakliving.com, or call 512-357-4023 with any questions.

Find a Place Worth Staying

Caregiving is demanding work, and the people who do it well deserve an employer who takes that seriously. At LiveOak Living Community, that means steady support, real training, flexible scheduling, and a share in what we build together.

If you’re looking for a caregiving job in the San Marcos area, we’d love to hear from you. Visit our Join Our Team page to learn more and apply.