HUNTSVILLE, Ala. (WAFF) – Healthcare sectors across the board are still dealing with staffing shortages but there is one industry being impacted more than others.
The American Health Care Association reports nursing homes are the most impacted with over 200,000 jobs lost since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Jamie Harding with AARP said thirty percent of Alabama nursing homes are short-staffed.
“Staffing shortages in nursing homes have a deep impact on patient care and patient safety. So it’s a very urgent issue that needs to be addressed.” Harding said.
ANHA spokesperson John Matson said they are starting to see the program’s impact on the industry. However, until staffing shortages return to a pre-pandemic level, patients may be turned away.
“We’re kind of in a situation where there are more jobs than available employees. Every nursing home can only care for the number of patients that it has the staff to appropriately care for,” Matson said. “So if a nursing home is having trouble finding an additional staff to open up additional beds, they may have to turn down admissions.”