CNA staffing cuts

[motherof3sons]

Our facility has been thru a lot of turmoil since Oct 13. We no longer have skilled residents now, just LTC. Last night I went into work and management has cut staffing. I was the only RN and I had one med tech doing meds for 44 residents and had 4 CNA's for all the personal care. I also had 2 CNA's designated to our dementia care---provide 1:1 for any of our residents with behaviors.

Supper time was horrid.....I had 5 tables that needed assist and only 3 to assist. I filled one spot but was left with one CNA going from one spot to the other to assist 3 people.

I don't work again till Wed and I am not looking forward to it.

Any others experiencing staffing cuts?

[Sam J.]

Does your place have a large private pay, LTC census, to offset the dismal Medicaid payments of most LTC/Medicaid patients, and they chose to go LTC only, or maybe they lost their skilled certification, and had no choice? I suspect if your census is mainly Medicaid, that a lot more cuts will be coming- that's a lot of staff overhead for 44 patients if they are mainly Medicaid, and I assume you work night shift?

[Chrissy Lou]

Our LTC hall typically houses 52 residents when full. That hall will never have more than 4 aides/2 nurses days and evenings, 2 aides/1 nurse for the night shift. It's never easy, and when census drops on the Rehab hall or our Dementia Unit, staff is cut across the board even though LTC is the steadiest when it comes to census. You are not alone, staffing is tough in LTC all over. The sad part is, overall the typical acuity these days in LTC/Rehab buildings has gone way up from days past. We have many g-tubes, IV's, chest drains, wounds, trachs, etc. on a daily basis than ever before, yet staffing is still as it was years ago. The least amount of residents any nurse has in our building is 25, many with the issues I just mentioned. and 8x the paperwork. Oh the frustration!

[motherof3sons]

Our facility gave up its skilled certification and we do have some private pay....probably less than 8. Part of the problem is that we have 2 wings and when supper is going on pulling one to assist leaves the wing with just one.....and having more residents that need assist than the staff available....and management keeps changing the flow of supper to "help" but it has just made it worse. If they would only listen..

The shift is 3-11 that I work.

It seems for us we have more behaviors now than for my 6 years total. Has anyone else noticed an increase in behaviors, thus the need for our dementia care CNA's.

It is frustrating....I took 2 hours to assist in the dining room and on one wing. Which according to our administrator, I am supposed to supervise the goings on of supper only. Then they wonder why all the monthly charting is never caught up.