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How do you know if a nursing home has a staffing shortage?

On Behalf of | Feb 1, 2022 | Elder Law | 0 comments

If you have elderly parents who have health-related issues, you may have little choice but to move them into a nursing home. After all, you probably lack the time and skills necessary to help your mother and father thrive. Still, not every nursing home on your list of potential facilities is likely to be a good fit for your parents.

Many factors affect a nursing home’s ability to provide top-level care to its residents. An important one, though, is staffing. Put simply, if a facility does not have enough administrators, nurses, assistants, custodians, physical therapists and other professionals, your parents’ care is likely to suffer.

How many nursing homes have staffing shortages?

Many employers across the country are dealing with massive staffing shortages, and nursing homes are no exception. In fact, according to the American Health Care Association and the National Center for Assisted Living, 99% of nursing homes currently have staffing shortages. Furthermore, almost 60% of nursing homes report their workforce situation has worsened over the past year.

What information is available about staffing shortages?

When you are deciding which facility is right for your parents, you may want to consult the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services’ nursing home rating system. This five-star system considers a variety of metrics, including the number of professionals who work in each facility.

Additionally, you may want to visit each nursing home a few times during different parts of the day and night. If a facility does not have enough workers to meet the basic needs of residents, you are likely to notice.

Ultimately, while you may not be able to find a fully staffed nursing home, you should be able to rule out facilities that have major problems.

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