July 2023
Discussion
On Tuesday, June 20 at 6 p.m. the NJ Office of the Long-Term Care Ombudsman, NJ Department of Health, and the statewide family support group FACE NJ hosted an online discussion about the impact of inadequate staffing in nursing homes.
Thank you to the family members and residents who shared their experiences with staffing shortages. Common themes that emerged are listed below.
- Lack of understanding that this is the residents' home but residents often feel uncomfortable, unsafe, and isolated.
- Residents find themselves advocating on behalf of each other, especially for those who have limited cognitive ability.
- Families have to do so much extra to ensure that their family member is well taken care of even though much of what they are doing is basic care that facility staff should be doing.
- Staff's lack of understanding of the clinical diagnosis that is leading to the behaviors that staff find problematic.
- Medication problems: improper medication being given or medication given at the wrong time.
- Call bells not being answered for extended periods of times, leaving residents unable to get physical assistance to use the toilet or help getting cleaned up.
- Improper use of Hoyer lifts: While it is supposed to be a two-person job, often, because of staffing shortages, only one person does it. This often results in being injured when residents hit into walls or furniture and falls. This happens when it's only one person, but also when it is two people.
- Not having an accessible bathroom where a wheelchair can fit in, resulting in residents having to walk to bathroom.
- Lack of in-house training for staff
- Hoyer lifts and power wheelchairs: Staff should have experience of being in a Hoyer lift and power wheelchair so that they have a better sense both of what it feels like and how they guide residents to use the equipment.
- Temperature of water for bathing is often too cold.
- Residents and family members are afraid to complain because they fear that saying something will make things worse/retaliation from administration and/or staff.
- At the same time, understanding that staff are often doing the best they can.
- Some staff are losing PTO time rather than leaving facilities short of staff.
- Work towards a more collaborative environment rather than a feeling that it is often us versus them.
- Need to motivate people to stay in the medical field.
Contact information
NJ Long-Term Care Ombudsman Complaint Line:
- Telephone: 877-582-6995
- Fax: 609-943-3479
- Email: ombudsman@ltco.nj.gov
- Mail: NJ Long-Term Care Ombudsman, PO Box 852, Trenton, NJ 08625-0852
- Online Complaint Form
NJ Long-Term Care Ombudsman Community Engagement:
FACE NJ
As a private Facebook group, you need to have a Facebook account to join. The best way to contact FACE is through their Facebook page: www.facebook.com/groups/facenj
Department of Health, Healthcare Facility Complaint Hotline
Department of Health, Office of LTC Resiliency
Official Site of The State of New Jersey
