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| Image source: Wisconsin Watch |
The aging population is expected to double to 81 million in the next 30 years, and senior homes and hospitals alike have been making full use of their subscribed patient-to-nurse ratio, which puts the remaining nursing assistants in a challenging position to provide round-the-clock quality care to far too many patients. The condition couldn’t get any worse as high turnover rates, low wages, and unpleasant work environments only exasperate the staffing shortage, according to an article from the Wall Street Journal.
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| Image source: Docstock Supply |
But despite the shortage in nursing aides, you can still find quality care for your elderly parents. You can try for smaller assisted-living facilities known as board-and-care homes with fewer residents and, probably, more caretakers. Board-and-care homes are a great option as senior homes with best reputation often have long waiting lists, says Bunni Dybnis, a fellow at the National Association of Professional Geriatric Care Managers. Hiring an in-home nursing aide is also an option but the price can be steep, costing around $250 per day. But if it’s your only option, you can search for agencies or look online for a list of potential nursing aides. Do a background check to make sure that the potential nursing aide can really provide quality care for your loved ones.
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| Image caption: health.usf.edu |
These options could just be transitory. The best long-term solution is to address the staffing shortage on a national level. This means improving work conditions, utilization of healthcare IT, compensation, and other factors that affect job satisfaction among nurses or nursing assistants. After all, nurses are the linchpins in providing top quality care for all.
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