How Low Nursing Staff Numbers Impact Care
Nursing home residents often require a lot of daily care for basic needs, otherwise, they would not be in a nursing home. This is why when nursing homes are understaffed, the quality of care tends to decrease. Fewer staff members on duty mean less care for all residents and more time spent trying to keep up with each person’s needs. Unfortunately, many nursing homes today have become understaffed and the risk for nursing negligence has increased. Talk to a New York Nursing Home Negligence Attorney if you or a loved one has experienced maltreatment by nursing home staff.
Consequences of Short-Staffed Nursing Homes
There have been various reports from directors of nursing and nursing staff members that nursing homes are short-staffed. Some reports revealed that one nursing home inflated the number of staff members to hide their under-staffing problem. Under-staffed nursing homes have been heavily associated with lower 
quality nursing care to residents.
Lower quality care means that many residents may not be receiving the care they need to live. Based on a study with 12 different nursing homes, 97% of residents needed help with bathing, 82% with toileting, 78% with transferring, and 87% with putting on or changing their clothes. Out of these residents, 24% complained of pain, 38% had dementia, and 58% experienced chronic depression. Many of these factors represent basic living needs that can worsen or lead to serious mental health issues if ignored.
The scary thing is that around 37% of nursing home residents need more time for swallowing their food, but with a lack of nursing home staff, the amount of time nurses spend with these residents is likely to be cut in half.
How Short-Staffing Affects Nurses
Time is one of many factors affected by understaffed nursing homes. With fewer nurses available, more nurses have to take over multiple responsibilities and additional residents. This forces many nurses to spend less time caring for residents who may need additional help with tasks like swallowing or maintaining hygiene.
Being rushed to perform several tasks in one day can make people make mistakes, regardless of their training or experience. Taking on all the responsibilities also causes nurses stress, a major contributor to clouded thinking and often a precursor for abuse. It does not help that no agreement has been achieved between Medicare and nursing homes on how many staff members there should be.
Nursing Home Negligence Lawyer in New York
Dealing with the fact that your loved one has been neglected or abused in a nursing home can be a difficult realization to face. Working with a North Syracuse Medical Malpractice Lawyer can help you figure out what evidence you need to stop the neglect and seek compensation. Your loved one may be eligible to receive compensation for pain and suffering.
At Gattuso & Ciotoli, we have years of experience with medical malpractice cases. You can call us at (315) 314-8000 for a free consultation today. We are located in Central New York, Syracuse, Watertown, Binghamton, Syracuse, North Syracuse, Camillus, Liverpool, Cortland, and Auburn. Our goal is to help you seek justice for your loved one.