Nursing Homes are Still Deep in the COVID Crisis

As we dive into the third year of the global pandemic, although many things have gone back to “normal”, in many ways we’re still feeling the daily effects of COVID and the toll it has taken on us in far more areas than that of our personal health. 

Some of the most affected places to have experienced significant, and lasting difficulties rooted in the pandemic are nursing homes. In the height of quarantines, it was beyond heartbreaking for many of us to be separated from elderly loved ones and even worse to see them isolated in the crisis. 

Although nursing homes and their staff have worked hard and worked well throughout the pandemic, the fact is that these facilities are still in crisis, and this time it’s a staffing shortage that is the culprit. 

The extreme stress and other COVID related problems have caused such a massive drop in nursing staff that 78% of nursing homes are now concerned they may have to close because of the shortage. 

Sadly, there’s no quick fix to the nursing shortage, but there are some creative things nursing homes can do to bring in new recruits and to maintain their current staff. Things like ensuring safety, providing stress support, and showing appreciation can go a long way. Offering new  training and continued education to new recruits can also help to bring in additional staff and to keep them longer.