Staffing is one of the primary issues facing nursing homes and other elder-care facilities in Florida and throughout the United States. Far too often, facilities try to protect their bottom line by understaffing and underpaying the staff they have employed. This tactic leads to significant health risks, as seen most recently in the COVID-19 pandemic that ravaged Florida elder-care facilities.
One of the primary offenders of poor care and protection during the pandemic was Brookdale Senior Living. With nearly 100 facilities throughout the state offering many levels of care for elderly residents, Brookdale has been a primary offender of poor quality protection for residents and staff throughout the pandemic. Fortunately, they are being challenged.
A recent letter from investors
According to Health News Florida online, a group of investors are using their influence to push nursing homes to improve the care offered to their residents and the working condition of their staffs. Investor groups numbering near 100, who collectively manage more than three trillion dollars in assets, sent a letter to nursing homes making demands for improvements.
The letter points out how the pandemic has highlighted ongoing care gaps and issues in nursing homes and lists a significant number of problems the investors expect to be improved.
What are the issues?
In the letter, the investors name numerous issues, including:
- Understaffing
- Health and safety protocols
- Wages and contracts for staff
- Collective bargaining
- Quality of care
The letter goes into some detail about each of these issues.
A prominent Florida elder-care facility received this letter
Among the few for-profit organizations that received this letter from investors was Brookdale Senior Living.
We have written before about Brookdale’s conspicuous failure to provide adequate care and protection of residents and staff. This letter from concerned investors is yet another example of Brookdale being on the front lines of poor care and protection of its people.
If you or a loved one has been injured or contracted COVID-19 while a resident or staff of a Brookdale facility in Florida, you deserve to have your rights protected and obtain compensation. If you are considering a move for yourself or an elderly family member, be cautious of Brookdale Senior Living facilities.
