One of the many unfortunate consequences of the pandemic is that it has led to staff shortages in several industries. One area where staff shortages have had a particularly devastating impact is in nursing homes. Seniors are some of the most vulnerable members of our society, and not having enough qualified nursing home workers to care for them during a global pandemic has resulted in serious issues developing. Sadly, one aspect of the staff shortage problem that has hurt seniors the most is the rise in staff shortage related nursing home abuse.
How Do Staff Shortages Result in Nursing Home Abuse?
Nursing homes losing a record number of residents and staff due to the COVID-19 pandemic seemed to open the door to an increase in occurrences of nursing home abuse and neglect. As nursing homes work to recover from the devastating impact of COVID, they must also find a way to curb the rise of nursing home abuse before it gets worse. Finding a way to replenish their staffs with qualified and trustworthy employees would be a big step in the right direction because as long as staff shortages continue to be a problem in nursing homes, so it seems will abuse and neglect.
But why have staff shortages resulted in nursing home abuse? Here are a few of the common reasons why staff shortages have led to nursing home abuse and neglect:
- Exhaustion – The remaining staffs at nursing homes are spread incredibly thin, which leads to patients and procedures falling through the cracks. Staffs have become too small to properly care for large facilities full of residents, leading to neglect.
- Lack of Help – There simply are not enough hands to help. Those who are qualified and willing to work at nursing homes are far too few. Many who are qualified are not willing due to health concerns related to COVID. Without enough qualified employees available, nursing homes are dropping the ball when it comes to providing each resident with the care they need.
- Lowered Standards – Unfortunately, due to a lack of qualified employees, some nursing homes have begun to lower their hiring standards. This has led to people being hired to work at nursing homes who are not qualified due to ability or morality. Some people who are qualified to work at nursing homes have questionable backgrounds and use their access to residents to abuse them physically, emotionally, sexually, and financially. Others who are not qualified to work at a nursing home, are sometimes hired anyway. Because they don’t know what they are doing, they make mistakes that lead to residents suffering. Also, some neglect the residents more often than not because they are just there to collect a paycheck.
Speak with Our Experienced Nursing Home Abuse Attorneys for Free
Unfortunately, nursing home abuse and neglect have been a problem since long before the COVID-19 pandemic first made news. While the pandemic and staff shortages have made the problem worse, getting nursing home staffs back up to full capacity won’t completely solve the issue. Only holding negligent nursing homes and individuals accountable for committing abuses will ultimately make this a problem of the past.
The nursing home abuse attorneys at Pierce, Sloan, Kennedy & Early LLC have over 125 years of combined legal experience. We’ve helped nursing home abuse victims and their families bring those responsible for their pain and suffering to justice. We know the toll that this takes on victims and their families, which is why we are there to carry the legal burden for them, so that they can concentrate on caring for one another and healing.
To schedule a free & confidential consultation with our experienced nursing home abuse lawyers, give us a call at (843) 968-0886 or reach out to us online.