Your parents move into a nursing home or assisted living center, and the building itself seems ideal. It gives them the type of room they want, the chance to spend time with other residents of their own ages, and options to meet all of their needs.
After a short time, though, you realize there’s a problem: The facility just doesn’t have enough people on staff. Is it just in your head, or is this a real problem?
Understaffing isn’t just common, it’s the norm
The issue is absolutely not in your head. Understaffing in these facilities is a serious problem, and it crops up a lot. In fact, some reports indicate that it’s an issue in most facilities, so it’s really just the norm. Inspections are also down, so that makes it easier for nursing homes to skate around the rules. No matter what facility you choose for your parents, the odds are that they’re going to be victimized by this problem. It happens all the time.
The ramifications of understaffing are dire. The workers who are on duty can only do so much. They have to rush from patient to patient and may make critical errors. They can’t respond to all alerts and alarms as quickly as they should. They feel fatigued and burned out. Residents may be left to do things on their own that they’re just not able to do safely — and that can lead to falls, head injuries, broken bones and more.
In short, understaffing leads to injuries. You may not even blame the workers who were there at the time. They did what they could, but there was no way for them to do enough because the company did not have enough workers on the clock. When faced with this type of negligence, be sure you know what legal options you have.