Nursing home residents need specific assistance that they likely can’t get at home. They count on the staff members at the facility to provide the care they need, which requires the facility to have adequate staffing. When staffing isn’t where it should be, the residents are the ones who will likely suffer.
Improper staffing creates risks that go far beyond basic scheduling issues. When not enough workers are available, residents may have to wait longer for help and may not have the routine monitoring they need. This can cause small health issues to turn into serious complications.
Staffing is regulated
Staffing is an important enough issue that lawmakers have addressed it. This is a regulatory issue that led to standards being set by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services in 2024. There’s a standard 3.48 hours nursing staffing requirement per resident per day. This means that the overall nursing schedule has to include 3.48 hours times the number of residents. For example, a facility with 10 residents needs to have a total of 34.80 nursing hours per day.
There are also specific minimums for nursing aide care and registered nurse care. And, there’s a requirement that at least one registered nurse is on-site around the clock. These standards set clear expectations and are a starting point for people who are considering a long-term care facility because they can ask specifically about this staffing requirement.
Understaffing isn’t always easy to spot, but it can lead to considerable problems for the residents. If a resident suffers harm because of improper staffing, they may opt to pursue a compensation claim. These cases can be challenging, so it’s best to work with someone familiar with these matters.