When you look for a Delaware nursing home for one or both of your parents, you want to do your due diligence to make sure the home provides quality care. You also want to ensure a home has enough staff members around to help your loved one when the need arises. Many American nursing homes fail to maintain adequate staffing levels. While many such homes lack adequate staff every day, the problem is often especially severe on weekends.
Per PBS, a review of daily payroll records from about 14,000 U.S. nursing homes shows that more than seven out of 10 of them had fewer staff members on duty than they should have.
Understaffing causes
Many nursing homes fail to maintain adequate staff because the pay for health care professionals in these environments is often lower than it would be in a hospital or clinic. Many former nursing home employees also cite burnout and the tough schedule and demands of the job as reasons they leave their positions.
Understaffing repercussions
Nursing home understaffing has a direct and clear impact on the quality of care your parent receives. When facilities lack adequate staff, your parent may not get the mobility help he or she needs, potentially leading to falls, injuries or bedsores. It may, too, lead to delays when it comes to your parent being able to eat or take medications on time, among other related issues.
Because so many nursing homes and assisted living facilities lack adequate staff, you may want to ask each home you consider what its staff-to-resident ratio is and whether it changes on weekends.