Moving a parent into a Pennsylvania nursing home is not always easy. Yet, in many cases, your parent may need more care and attention than you may realistically provide. Many people who move parents into nursing homes do so because they want to make sure their parents receive proper mobility, health and other care when they need it. However, research shows that the vast majority of American nursing homes do not have enough staff available to give residents the care they need.
Per the American Health Care Association, 94% of American homes report that they lack sufficient staff. The understaffing issue is also pervasive in assisted living facilities, 81% of which lack adequate staff.
Why nursing homes lack adequate staff
There are many reasons the understaffing problem persists in so many nursing homes and assisted living facilities. For starters, many such facilities pay substantially less than similar jobs in other health care environments. Many such facilities also fail to offer robust benefits packages, which also makes it hard for them to attract and retain quality professionals. Working in a nursing home also often involves tough schedules and emotional hardships, making it even harder for these facilities to maintain adequate staff.
What happens when nursing homes lack adequate staff
As you might imagine, when a nursing home does not have enough workers on hand, the quality of the care its residents experience suffers as a result. When there are not enough workers to help older adults get around, those adults may have no choice but to try to do so on their own, which often leads to falls. Bedsores also become more common in facilities without sufficient staff.
Research shows that while understaffing has long been an issue in American nursing homes, the problem has gotten progressively worse since early 2020.