Impact of Understaffing in Nursing Homes

Understaffed nursing homes present a serious problem for the elderly. Many nursing home facilities are owned by public corporations that focus on profitability instead of the quality of care being provided to the residents. Families spend thousands of dollars each year to pay for the costs of nursing homes, but unfortunately, their money does not always go to good use. Some nursing home facilities reduce the number of staff, in order to boost profits. Understaffing can lead to nursing home abuse and neglect. Research has shown that nearly half of the nursing homes in the United States are understaffed.

A few years ago, a federal study revealed that nursing homes are short-staffed, which has been a national problem for decades. Some industry experts blame the government, not public corporations, for the lack of staff. They believe that the government is responsible because programs like Medicaid pay most nursing home costs, but the amount paid is not high enough to sustain a better level of care.

Regardless of the reason behind understaffing, one fact is for certain - it is often the underlying cause of nursing home abuse cases. When there is an inadequate number of staff, residents’ needs are often unmet. As a result, they may become the victims of malnutrition, dehydration or bed sores, not to mention poor hygiene. Medications are frequently given in either too high or too little doses, which can lead to serious health problems, even death.

In the situation of an understaffed nursing home, employees become overworked and exhausted and therefore, the risk of elder abuse and neglect increases drastically. Overworked employees are known to lose their patience with the nursing home residents and sometimes these employees will abuse the elderly, either physically or verbally. When a nursing home is understaffed, the ratio of nurses to residents is dangerously low. Nursing home staff members are given too many tasks, which increases the probability of neglect.

Nursing home staff members also do not have the time available to spend with the elderly residents. Some nursing home residents may start to feel isolated and depressed. A story that appeared in the New York Times included the following quote from a nurse’s aide - "I have no time to speak to the residents. One resident called me in one night. She grabbed my arm and asked me to hold her. I gently removed her hand and explained that I had 16 residents to care for and could not stay. She died the next day. All she wanted was someone to be with her. I felt terrible."

If you have a loved one living in a nursing home and you suspect abuse or neglect, contact the Florida nursing home abuse attorneys at the law offices of Lilly, O'Toole & Brown, LLP at (863) 683-1111.

Lilly, O'Toole & Brown, LLP
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