When moving a family member into a nursing home you are doing so with the hope that they will be given the utmost care and protection. Unfortunately, understaffing in nursing homes leads to neglect of its elderly residents. When there is a shortage of staff members compared to the amount of residents, the staff becomes overworked and stressed and it is the residents that suffer. This leads to increases in malnutrition, unhealthy weight loss, dehydration, infections and bedsores among the nursing home residents.
PennLive analyzed Medicare and Medicaid reimbursement data to compile a list of the 18 most understaffed nursing homes in Pennsylvania based on hours spent caring for each resident. PennLive also compiled how much of that care came from registered nurses (RN), licensed practical nurses (LPN), and certified nurse assistants (CNA). It is recommended that at least 4.1 staff hours a day be spent on each resident’s care. The average hours per day spent on each resident is 2.84. The most understaffed home on the list was Manor Care in Pottsville (2.77 hours of care per day). Manor Care, which is one of the biggest nursing home chains in the United States, occupied 10 of the 18 spots on this list.
The full list can be seen here.