FAQs: Staffing Issues in Nursing Homes
July 10, 2022
Inadequate Staffing in Nursing Homes
As the Chicago Tribune unearthed in 2009, understaffing in Illinois nursing homes led to dangerous living conditions for residents. In response, the Illinois legislature passed a sweeping set of reforms in 2010 to improve these conditions. The new law included an overhaul on psychiatric evaluations, increased nursing home inspectors, and new staffing standards based on the amount of care required by each nursing home resident.
Unfortunately, these new staffing requirements did not differentiate between licensed professionals and nursing assistants. This lack of definition often leads to a smaller number of registered nurses (RNs) and licensed practical nurses (LPNs) on staff, which can directly relate to neglect and abuse. It also resulted in greater dependence on care provided by nurse’s aides.
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CALL US NOW Low Staffing Levels Are Directly Related to Low Quality of Care
Without enough skilled staff on hand, it can be impossible to deliver the high quality of care as set forth in state and national nursing home laws. For instance, understaffed nursing homes often have increased reports of:
Understaffed nursing homes can also face increased instances of sexual abuse and physical abuse due to lack of supervision.
In many cases, understaffing happens when nursing home administrators place profits ahead of quality care, often driven by high turnover, poor working conditions, and low wages, and a nursing home abuse attorney can help hold facilities accountable for the harm this causes.
Connect with The Rooth Law Firm at (847) 869-9100 or through our online contact form to schedule a free consultation about your case.
Ever-Changing Staffing Levels Can Also Affect Quality of Care
High turnover among nursing assistants affects nursing homes across the state. This issue matters because nurse aides deliver about 70 percent of the daily care residents receive, including help with feeding, grooming, bathing, turning, and transfers. Physically demanding work, weak management, and low wages drive constant turnover, which makes consistent, high quality care harder to deliver. Families often seek effective Chicago nursing home abuse legal support when these staffing problems lead to neglect.
Recommendations for Increasing the Quality of Care in Illinois Nursing Homes
The loudest recommendation coming from all advocates of nursing home residents calls for increased staffing levels. The Senate Special Committee on Aging received recommendations for the preferred minimum number of hours each resident should receive from licensed staff and aides:
- For RNs, at least 27 minutes per day
- For all licensed staff (RNs and LPNs), at least one hour
- For nurse’s aides, at least two hours
While Illinois law generally meets the amount of time laid out here, the nursing homes in the state still have room to grow in ensuring a balanced amount of care between licensed staff and nursing assistants.
Another recommendation includes increasing wages for nurse’s aides such as CNAs. Advocates of this step believe that increased wages help acknowledge the amount of care and effort aides put in every day for the residents, which can only help to retain quality care providers.
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