Title: Understaffing in Nursing Homes Leads to Low Standard of Care
Headings: Nursing Home Understaffing Leads to Poor Quality Care and Elder Abuse
Nursing Home Understaffing Leads to Poor Quality Care and Elder Abuse
Why Resident-to-Staff Ratio Is Important
According to Federal data, most nursing homes have fewer staff than they report.
When there is understaffing in nursing homes, essential tasks are neglected, such as:
Hiring Unqualified Staff Puts Residents at Risk
Untrained staff have many shortfalls, including:
Increasing Numbers of Qualified Staff to Raise the Standard of Care
Author:

Content: Without an aide on hand, these residents are left feeling helpless and neglected. When there is understaffing in nursing homes, essential tasks are neglected, such as: Adjusting residents to prevent bed sores
Checking up on patients and noting changes in health
Keeping residents clean to prevent infection
Preventing dangerous falls by helping residents move around
Staff members end up feeling stressed and upset by their lack of ability to provide quality care to their patients. As a result, they may become bitter, taking out their frustration on residents. This is where physical or verbal abuse becomes an issue. When staff face burnout, they quit or move onto higher-paying jobs in hospitals. The high turnover rate in nursing homes causes a rush to recruit new employees. This constant battle encourages facilities to hire unqualified staff and skip critical training periods. Hiring Unqualified Staff Puts Residents at Risk
Staff also get burnt out when they don’t have proper training or tools. Unfortunately, nursing homes often fail to screen staff before hiring.