Survey Shows Staffing Crisis in Nursing Homes
Nursing home workers and union leaders are sounding the alarm about critical staffing shortages in nursing homes.
Minnesota nursing homes reported the largest workforce shortage in the country according to an analysis of Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services data conducted by Seniorly, an online senior living advisory and directory. In a separate survey by Services Employees International Union that reached 1,300 workers from across the state, 94% of workers said staffing levels in Minnesota nursing homes affect the quality of care that they are able to deliver on a daily basis.
The shortage of workers is due to low wages, lack of benefits, and poor job quality, the union said in a news release. All of these factors are taking a toll on the workers who are still in their jobs, said nursing home worker Yankuba Fadera during a Wednesday news conference announcing the survey results.
“I see people cry,” Fadera said. “I see people say ‘I don’t want to do this anymore.’ People go into this job because they have care, they have empathy, they have compassion for the people they take care of… I have seen many, many nursing home workers who will work a double [shift] day in and day out for months. ”
Participants in the survey came from over a quarter in Minnesota nursing homes in the greater Twin Cities, Duluth, Bemidji, Rochester, St. Cloud, and other communities.
Here are some additional findings from the survey:
- Two out of three nursing home workers report struggling to meet their household’s basic needs every month.
- Half of nursing home workers reported making $20 per hour or less and 80% reported making less than $25/hour.
- Over a third of nursing home workers say low pay is to blame for the acute workforce shortage.
- Over 8 in 10 nursing home workers report that a wage increase to $25 per hour would make a difference in their ability to care for themselves and their families.
The union released the survey results a day before the new Nursing Home Workforce Standards Board’s second meeting on Thursday. The board, which includes three government representatives, three industry representatives, and three worker representatives, was established after this year’s legislative session and has the power to set minimum labor standards, like a minimum wage.
Minnesota’s health care workforce overall is also in “critical condition,” according to the Minnesota Hospital Association’s 2023 workforce report, with nearly 6,000 unfilled positions reported in June.
