More than 80% of U.S. nursing homes reported staffing shortages in early 2023. SciLine interviewed Dr. Jasmine Travers, a gerontological nurse practitioner and assistant professor of nursing at New York University Rory Meyers College of Nursing, and asked her how the shortage affects health care for nursing home residents, if nursing homes in poorer neighborhoods have been hit harder by the shortages, and what can be done to fix the problem.
The nursing home workers that are threatening to go on strike are represented by the union SEIU Healthcare Illinois. Four of the 11 nursing home facilities throughout the state that are set to strike are in Chicago. Four other facilities are in the surrounding area. Workers are set to go on strike as early as Labor Day, which lands on Sept. 4. Infinity nursing home workers during a news conference Thursday spoke about high turnover rates, poor building conditions, low wages and poor staffing leading to difficulty caring for residents.
Apple Rehab Chesterfields is a 60-bed facility, but the company said a lot of those beds are empty, which factored into the decision to close. In a letter sent to families, Apple said, “The decision to close comes after years of painstaking efforts to revitalize,” going on to say “Closure has become imminent.” Chesterfield’s Medicare rating is just 1-star. Specifically, Apple Rehab Chesterfields cites a decline in residents, staffing challenges, COVID-19, and losing more than half a million dollars over just the last year.
Cornerstone Caregiving opened its Wausau offices with a ribbon-cutting Thursday, located on North 3rd Street. Their services stretch within an hour radius of Wausau, and can offer a helping hand to seniors who need a certain type of care. Officials say there had been a dire need in the Wausau area for expanded care for seniors and veterans.
The demand for caregivers for senior citizens is on a long upward swing. What they get paid is not.It's a particular issue in California, where the cost of living is high, but caregiver wages do not keep up. For one example, the average pay for caregivers in Siskiyou County is $15.50 per hour: minimum wage.
On Nov. 1, Public Health will be shuttering its home health care services for good amid increasing challenges in providing comprehensive care. One of the most critical pieces of Public Health’s Home Health Care program is providing homebound patients with access to physical, occupational and speech therapy services. Typically, Public Health connects clients to these therapeutic services through a contracted provider, but for nearly two years, the department has been unable to find a provider willing to service the county.