Nursing homes continue to struggle with staffing issues
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[November 16, 2021]
By Kevin Bessler
(The Center Square) – A report shows
long-term care facilities are suffering from staffing shortages more
than any other health care profession.
The report by the American Health Care Association and the National
Center for Assisted Living (AHCA/NCAL) shows employment levels at
nursing homes have dropped 14% or 221,000 jobs since the start of the
pandemic.
“As many caregivers are getting burned out by the pandemic, workers are
leaving the field for jobs in other health care settings or other
industries altogether,” said Mark Parkinson, president and CEO of AHCA/NCAL.
“Chronic Medicaid underfunding, combined with the billions of dollars
provided have spent to fight the pandemic, have left long-term care
providers struggling to compete for qualified staff. We desperately need
the help of policymakers to attract and retain more caregivers.”
AHCA/NCAL released a survey of long-term care providers earlier this
year which showed that the labor crisis was worsening and impacting
access to care for seniors. Eight-six percent of nursing homes and 77%
of assisted living providers said their workforce situation has gotten
worse in recent months, and as a result, 58% of nursing homes are
limiting new admissions.
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There are also concerns about being able to stay open. Seventy-eight
percent of nursing homes and 61% of assisted living communities are
concerned workforce challenges might force them to close.
Heritage Health-Springfield, a 178-bed for-profit nursing home that has
operated since 1985, plans to close on Dec. 17. Officials from the
Bloomington-based Heritage Operations Group cited staffing and financial
challenges related to the pandemic and inadequate reimbursements from
the Medicaid program as reasons for the closure.
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The Illinois State Capitol in Springfield, Illinois.
John Spataro | Watchdog.org
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The pandemic has led to historically low occupancy levels coupled with
exploding operating costs,” Heritage Operations president Ben Hart said
in a statement.
Matt Hartman, executive director of the Illinois Health Care
Association, said some long-term care facilities have stopped taking
admissions, but unfortunately others are looking at the bottom line.
“You are going to see folks who are now going to be forced into a
situation where they’re going to get maybe a lesser quality of care
because they are not going to have the appropriate staffing in a
facility that is more concerned with the volume business of bringing
people in than what the care needs of the residents are,” Hartman said.
Some are concerned a vaccination mandate will further deplete staffing
at nursing homes.
“While we support the overall intent of the policy, we are concerned
that the execution will exacerbate an already dire workforce crisis in
long-term care,” Parkinson said. “A hard deadline with no resources for
providers or glide path for unvaccinated workers is likely to push too
many out the door.”
Illinois has approximately 1,200 long-term care facilities serving more
than 100,000 residents.
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