The impact of Covid-19 on nursing homes continues to resonate as this sector of the health care industry struggles to maintain an active workforce.
According to a survey of 616 nursing homes and 122 assisted living communities nationwide by the American Health Care Association and National Center for Assisted Living (AHCA/NCAL), 94% of nursing home providers reported a shortage of staff members in the last month; within assisted living communities, 81% had similar staffing shortages.
The survey found that more than half of nursing home and assisted living providers lost key members of their staff last year as workers quit their jobs in the midst of the pandemic.
Among the professions that saw the highest level of resignations were certified nursing assistants and dietary staff.
Nearly three-quarters of nursing homes and just under two-thirds of assisted living communities said their overall workforce situation has gotten worse since 2020, while 81% of nursing home providers and 75% of assisted living communities believed they would be able to recruit and retain staff members if they were able to offer better pay and benefits.
“The survey results clearly indicate that the long term care workforce is facing serious challenges, and our country must make significant investments to help address these shortfalls,” said Mark Parkinson, president and CEO of AHCA/NCAL, whose organization represents 14,000 facilities.
“Lawmakers across the country must prioritize long term care to ensure the profession has the necessary resources to maintain a strong workforce. This begins with addressing chronic underfunding of Medicaid for nursing homes, which currently only covers 70% to 80% of the cost of care.”
