Did you know that more than 300 nursing homes have closed during the pandemic? So many facilities faced a lack of staff and funding that they were forced to shut their doors, and it doesn’t stop there. In 2022, more than 400 certified US nursing homes are on the brink of shutting down, nearly double the closure rate pre pandemic. Why are these facilities closing at such a fast rate?
Since January of 2020, over 230,000 caregivers have left nursing homes. That number makes up 15% of the total nursing home workforce, meaning there simply wasn’t enough staff to keep many facilities open. 89% of healthcare organizations are experiencing a staffing shortage right now, and that isn’t all.
Nursing facilities are also losing money at too fast a rate to stay open. An average facility is operating at nearly -5% a year, and without financial relief 25% of facilities will be shut down in the next year.
To ensure that nursing facilities remain open to continue providing care to the elderly, it is important to make changes fast. While financial relief would be the best solution, starting with providing better training and overall environments for nursing home staff could help with the staffing shortage as well as alleviate pressure on existing staff.
To learn more about the infection control changes necessary to help keep nursing facilities open, take a look at the infographic below:
Source: IPCWell.com