As the elder population rises, so does the demand for workers who care for the elderly each day in residences and facilities such as nursing homes.
From 2018 to 2028, these “direct care” workers are projected to add more than 1.3 million new jobs, according to PHI, the nation’s leading authority on the direct care workforce, based in Bronx, New York. That number is on top of the 6.9 million direct care jobs that will need to be filled in those years as existing workers leave the field or labor force.
John Dalli, a partner in the law firm Dalli & Marino LLP, says finding adequately staffed nursing homes are already hard to find.
“This growing staffing shortage is why it’s so important to research nursing homes. Many facilities skimp on staff, choosing profits over patients,” said Dalli. “Sadly, neglect or abuse of nursing home residents almost always stems from inadequate staffing, both in quality and quantity.”
The United States Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services offers an extensive, helpful checklist on questions to ask when you’re searching for a nursing home for a parent. In this second article, we will cover what you should ask about a skilled nursing facility’s staffing.
Nursing Home Staffing Questions
- Do staff knock on the door before entering a resident’s room?
- Do staff members refer to residents by name?
- Does the nursing home offer a training and continuing education program for all staff?
- Is there licensed nursing staff 24 hours a day, including a Registered Nurse (RN) present at least 8 hours per day, 7 days a week?
- Do Certified Nurse Aides (CNAs) help plan the care of residents?
- How many nurses, including CNAs, will be available to help me during the day, at night, and on weekends? (Note: The nursing home is required to post this information.)
- Is there a person on staff assigned to meet my social service needs, and can I meet with him or her?
- Will staff call my doctor for me if I have a medical need?
- Has there been a turnover in administrative staff, like the administrator or director of nursing, in the past year?
- Does the staff speak my primary language? If not, is an interpreter available or another system in place to help me communicate my needs?
Our next article in this series will look at comparing the appearance and physical quality of facilities and residents’ rooms.
Contact Nursing Home Abuse Attorneys Dalli & Marino
Since 1996, Dalli & Marino, LLP, has helped families recover millions of dollars in cases of neglect at nursing homes or other elder care facilities. Our team serves Suffolk and Nassau Counties (Long Island), Manhattan, Brooklyn, the Bronx, Queens, Staten Island and Westchester County.
Please call our office today if you have questions about a loved one in a nursing home that may have experienced one of these issues at 1-888-465-8790 [Toll-Free] or complete the CASE EVALUATION FORM on our Contact Page.