People might not consider the staff-to-patient ratio when looking for skilled nursing facilities for aging and ailing parents and other relatives. But as one study by the National Institutes of Health showed, this can be vital to your loved one’s health and well-being.
Read more below to learn how and why staffing shortages create an environment of patient neglect in these facilities.
What factors affect short staffing?
There are many reasons for short staffing issues, including:
- Competing salaries across the industry
- Familial needs
- Caregiver burnout
These are not the only reasons that many skilled nursing facilities are short-staffed. But they are some of the most common.
Staff shortages affect all roles
People think that direct care workers are the only ones experiencing problems from short staffing. But these problems adversely affect each department. Social services get strained from heavy caseloads, meal services and nutritional guidance can lag and improper cleaning of the facilities when the staff is overworked, all create dangerous environments where patients do not receive the care they need.
Staff do double-duty
When staffing is insufficient, workers may be forced to complete tasks outside of their job duties. While pitching in when needed is commendable, problems also arise when those doing double duty aren’t properly trained for the tasks they wind up performing.
Overworked nurses can forget to chart critical notes, e.g., the development of nascent bed sores. Dietitians can forget which patients need diabetic diets for their meals when they are rushed to plan meals for too many residents.
It’s the residents who suffer consequences
Has your loved one suffered injuries due to negligence caused by understaffing problems? If so, you may need to file a claim for damages on their behalf to protect them.
