Residents of nursing homes were hit hard during the COVID-19 pandemic. Safety measures were not in place to prevent the spread of the virus, and unfortunately, many aging adults passed away from COVID-19.
What went wrong, and where does that leave nursing homes today?
The Mistakes Made by Nursing Homes During the Pandemic
Of course, hindsight is 20/20, but some basic practices should be in place to take care of residents in a nursing home. This does not mean that all nursing homes got it wrong. But for the ones that missed the mark, there were fatal effects. Some errors include:
· Lack of Staff: Staffing shortages contribute significantly to the mistakes that occur in nursing homes. The employee turnover in nursing homes can be as high as 100% over the course of one year. With a lack of pay and training, employees are not incentivized to stay on the job.
· Distant Corporate Policies: Many nursing homes are run by corporations rather than by families. When they don’t have the personal touch of a small business, many problems can be overlooked.
· Rules that Aren’t Enforced: Even if there are strict rules in place, they aren’t being enforced. Those in charge of nursing home management need to adhere to the rules and have a system for executing training and implementing consequences to regulations that aren’t followed.
· Decreased Funding: A lot of the funding for nursing homes comes from Medicaid. Sometimes, it’s not enough. How can they gain enough money for training and hiring quality employees to implement new systems. Many families are turning to private care for their loved ones after losing trust in the nursing home industry. Nursing homes will need to work hard to rebuild that trust to gain full capacity again.
Nursing Homes Post-COVID-19
The nursing home industry will need to revamp all practices in order to come back after the pandemic. When they implement a new system with strict checks and balances, they may be able to gain back some trust.
At Greenwald & Gerke, we’re here to help make the rest of your life the best of your life! Please know you can trust our team to advocate for you during your golden years. Please call our team to discuss how we can help you achieve your goals: (844) 782-9674.
