Title: Nursing Home Understaffing - Neglect and Liability
Headings: Nursing Home Understaffing
Nursing Home Understaffing
Why Are Nursing Homes Understaffed?
Overtime and Exhaustion
Understaffing Effects on Care

Content: Overtime and Exhaustion
Because nursing homes lack the necessary amount of staff, the existing staff is pushed to work as quickly and as long as they can. Some nurses and staff members view overtime and long hours as beneficial because they will make more money, but many feel overworked and underpaid even with overtime. The exhaustion after working several hours can cause a nurse to make mistakes and miss changes in a patient’s condition. Understaffing Effects on Care
The negative effects of understaffing are obvious. Without enough nurses and nursing assistants, a facility is unable to provide a high level of care that is personalized for each patient. In a survey, 46% of the nurses said that they have missed changes in a patient’s condition because their excessive workload. Nurses in understaffed facilities do not have time to pay attention to detail, and that can lead to mistakes, injuries, and death of nursing home residents. Patients who need the most medical attention and who are immobile are at greatest risk when a facility is understaffed. Nursing assistants must help these patients eat, drink, and go to the bathroom. They must also make sure that they turn and move these patients and change their clothes often in order to prevent bedsores and other dangerous infections.