Low-wage workers prop up the nursing home industry. They're quitting in droves.

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

In the eight years she has worked at nursing homes, LaToya Francis, 34, has been yelled at, kicked at and had feces thrown at her for little more than the minimum wage. She endured it because she loved being a certified nursing assistant, she said.

But she’s not sure she can hold out much longer.

As the omicron variant of the coronavirus drives record staff shortages at nursing homes nationwide, Francis has increasingly found herself alone on her 12-hour overnight shifts at Bridgepoint Healthcare’s skilled nursing facility in Southwest Washington, fighting off panic attacks as she tries to feed, clean and rotate more bed-bound residents than she can handle. Some nights, she retreats to a corner of the facility, where she calls her partner and sobs. Other nights, all she can feel is anger.

“I’ve never, ever felt this disrespected,” Francis said.

Frustration is surging among the low-wage workers who make up the backbone of the nursing home industry, as tens of thousands of their colleagues call out sick with covid-19, inflaming shortages that already were at crisis levels. Hailed as “heroes” during the early months of the pandemic, these workers, most of whom are women and people of color, say they’re facing untenable levels of pressure.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2022/01/23/nursing-home-dc-staffing-omicron/

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

1. The worker shortage in places like nursing homes

is only going to get worse. As Boomers age, go into independent living places, then transition to assisted living or memory care or traditional nursing homes, there's going to be a need for more and more care givers. The long term prospects are scary.

[Coventina]

13. I'm GenX, but all my adult life I have had the plan that when I cannot live in my own home

I am going out on my own terms.

Nothing I have seen of long-term care facilities has changed my mind one bit.

I had a close friend recently die of lymphoma, and he spent his final year bouncing around care facilities.

They were all horrible. Everything of value was stolen from him (wheelchair, phone, watch, etc.) and the staff would flat out lie about his treatments (he never got the medical care he was supposed to get, causing him unneeded pain and suffering, as well as considerably shortening his life).

I am not going to end up that way.

[Calculating]

18. Yeah

Millennial here, and if it ever gets to a point where I cannot take care of myself anymore it's time to check out. No point in spending a few more years being a burden on people and getting neglected in nursing home.

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

21. Three different times I've visited indepentent/assisted living

places. I realize that one visit doesn't reveal everything, but I was favorably impressed with what I saw. Yes, some places were better than others, but I feel certain that none of those I visited were staffed by people who would steal everything, or withhold medical care. You really ought to report those places to the appropriate authorities.

[Coventina]

26. It is virtually impossible to get anything done against a facility that accepts public assistance.

When my mother was in a nursing home in the late stages of her dementia, her wedding ring was wrenched off her finger.

(It was really solidly on there, or we would have removed it before placing her in the home).

This was a very well-regarded facility, by the way.

When my dad reported it missing, he was told help was far too hard to get and keep, to risk asking the staff about it.

Family who have been in such places routinely had possessions go missing including clothes "lost" in the laundry, no matter how clearly they were permanently marked.

Nope, never for me.

[ibegurpard]

22. If dementia enters the picture

You won't be able to make that decision.

[Coventina]

24. You make a good point, but that's provided for as well.

My family carries the genetic predisposition of C9orf72 Repeat Expansion. My mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother all died of it.

My siblings and I have a suicide pact. If ANY of us start to exhibit symptoms, we all go together. After or prior experiences with our grandmother and mother, we are NOT going through it again.

Yes, we are a very bizarre family, but we've had to deal with a lot of very dark things. The result is that we have decided there are many things worse than death.

[paleotn]

19. Prospects aren't good for my generation.

I don't really want to think what it will be like 20 to 30 years from now when me and my better half reach an age where we may need such.

[LoisB]

2. Under appreciated, under valued workers.

[jimfields33]

3. I'm not sure why it costs 10K a month to be in a nursing home

if workers are making 10 bucks an hour. Make it 12K a month and pay workers more. Enough!

[XanaDUer2]

4. Exactly

This is obscene

[LoisB]

9. Danged if I know. Certainly not because payroll is exhorbitant. I assume the owners are getting

rich. I wonder how many are owned by private equity firms?

[NowISeetheLight]

10. Not everyone pays $10k

Medicaid covers a lot of SNF residents and they don’t pay near that. You can google Medicaid reimbursement rates for states and they’re pathetic. It’s kind of like healthcare in general. For a lot of Medicaid and Medicare patients the reimbursement doesn’t even cover costs. Then you have to make it up with secret private insurer contracts and charging self-pay patients inflated chargemaster pricing.

A good article about Medicaid only covering about 70% of costs.

https://www.ahcancal.org/News-and-Communications/Press-Releases/Pages/Financial-Struggle-of-Nursing-Homes-Puts-Medicaid-Reimbursement-Rates-Back-in-the-Spotlight.aspx

My father passed a few years ago. The last few years I had to move him to assisted living then he went to memory care. He was in a nice facility and was cash pay $6200 a month. Had an apartment at first, all meals, decent staffing, it was very nice. I remember signing the paperwork I had to provide proof of at least two or three years income to keep him there. I asked about it and they said some end up on Medicaid when their money runs out and they still live there. Basically they were subsidized at that point.

[yellowdogintexas]

14. to get Medicaid to cover nursing home, you have to exhaust all of your resources

before it will be approved. Spend all your savings, sell your house and car, etc

Now if you transfer a residence to a child or grandchild, set up financials properly etc, a minimum of 5 years prior to actually applying for Medicaid then the assets do not have to be liquidated. It may differ from state to state but I know for certain this is the case in OK and TX. The qualifying poverty line does vary from state to state.

I learned all this getting my aunt situated after my uncle died. Knowing she would need Medicaid if she lived long enough, I made sure the facility accepted Medicaid patients. This place wasn't fancy but it was clean and she got to take her dog with her. I sold the house and car, had two huge estate sales, and spent all that down.

[NowISeetheLight]

17. So true

I was worried my mother would outlive my dad and I’d have to go thru that. If he died first she’d only get half his pension. It didn’t go that way though and I was spared having to go thru that. It also ended up with me getting their house so I got to experience “generational wealth” (not a lot but some). My parents were both very poor at first and came from poor families. Both were the first to go to college. I really miss them.

[kimbutgar]

5. I work in senior communities as a move manager that moves in and clears out seniors stuff who have

Passed on. The staff are so stressed out. I make it habit to smile and thank them and whenever we have something nice to dispose of, I make sure they can help themselves to it.

[bahboo]

6. every time I visit my Mom in memory care...

there is a huge turnover. These people need to be paid MUCH more....meanwhile the homes are money making machines....

[DENVERPOPS]

16. Money making machines!

I read an article not long ago about firms starting up companies to buy nursing homes across the nation because they are so lucrative.

One of the biggest problems with nursing homes is the lack of inspections. The inspectors are grossly overworked......

[crickets]

7. This says a lot about how we treat undervalued health service staff

as well as the elderly themselves. It isn't good. ☹

No paywall link: https://archive.ph/UoXUZ

[NowISeetheLight]

8. I was a CNA

For a couple years when I got out of the Navy in the 80s. I remember it vividly… worst job I’ve ever had. I think I made around $9 an hour then. I did temp work too at various nursing homes for $12 or so. I don’t think the pay has gone up much since then.

This was always one of my worries about the $15 minimum wage. If a CNA today is making that much and suddenly they could make that flipping burgers, who would want to be a CNA? You’d need to put them over $20 at least to make it worth while.

[monkeyman1]

11. believe this or not , dish washer's are payed more money ! I've ask'd people ? No shit !

[IronLionZion]

12. Where are you finding well paid dishwashers?

I got $4.40 an hour back in the 1990s even though minimum wage was $5.15.

[monkeyman1]

15. a hell of a lot eatery's are paying 15.00 a hr. nowadays!

I got 3 daughter's that work in the food business!! they keep there help & don't have a high turn over rate !

[IronLionZion]

20. That's a good policy

More employers should try that

[pfitz59]

23. Bring back the 'ice floe'

Its inhumane to keep people past their 'use by' date. Prolonging life for profit ought be criminal. These 'care facilities' are a giant scam.

[Emile]

25. Wage Slaves tired of the BS!