Source: Health Policy Institute of Ohio
Extraordinarily high turnover among staffs at nursing homes likely contributed to the high number of deaths at the facilities during the COVID-19 pandemic, the authors of a new study suggest (Source: “High Staff Turnover at U.S. Nursing Homes Poses Risks for Residents’ Care,” New York Times, March 1, 2021).
The study, which was published March 1, in Health Affairs, represents a comprehensive look at the turnover rates in 15,645 nursing homes across the country, accounting for nearly all of the facilities certified by the federal government. The researchers found the average annual rate was 128%, with some facilities experiencing turnover that exceeded 300%.
Inadequate staffing — and low pay — has long plagued nursing homes and quality-of-care for the more than one million residents who live in these facilities. But the pandemic has exposed these issues even more sharply, with investigations underway into some states’ oversight of the facilities as COVID cases spiraled unchecked and deaths skyrocketed.