Staffing Crisis in Nursing Homes
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STAFFING CRISIS IN NURSING HOMES
By Ella Clayton
America is facing a demographic shift that may alter the issues and policies that are focused on in our nation. The population of senior citizens in America is rapidly growing, with 10,000 boomers turning 65 every day. The population of senior citizens will grow from 48 million to 85 million over the next 30 years. With the rapid increase of America’s senior citizen population, the next logical step would be a growth in the number of nursing homes in America. But the amount of nursing homes is dropping. From 2000 to 2009 the number of nursing homes in America dropped nearly 9 percent.
Although the number of nursing homes in America has dropped, there hasn’t been an overabundance of qualified healthcare professionals ready to staff the nursing homes we have today. Actually, the exact opposite has occurred. A staffing crisis has afflicted America’s nursing homes that threatens the lifestyle, and quality of care for nursing home residents.
There are several factors that have contributed to the staffing crisis, including: wages and benefits, workload, philosophy of the organization/staff empowerment, and opportunities for advancement.
Healthcare professionals are paid significantly less in nursing homes than in hospitals, which limits the amount of people seeking jobs in nursing homes. The workload in nursing homes is another significant factor in the staffing crisis. Many healthcare professionals in nursing homes are assigned to more residents than they can manage, and the required record keeping, and documentation has created an unmanageable workload. The administrative structure of authority in nursing homes can lead to dissatisfaction among staff members, and many health care professionals in nursing homes don’t have a route to advance their careers without leaving nursing home work.
The staffing crisis in America is an enormous issue, that is increasingly becoming more prevalent in our society. But there are steps nursing homes can take today to provide adequate care to their customers. To avoid customer dissatisfaction, nursing homes should use a contract with a rehabilitation company for staffing and to maximize revenue. At Vertis Therapy we can help you staff your home with Physical, Occupational, and Speech Therapists to help you meet your patient needs successfully!