Federal law requires all nursing homes to provide enough staff to adequately care for residents. Althuogh there is no current federal standard for the best nursing home staffing levels, at a minimum the nursing home must have at least one RN for at least 8 straight hours a day, 7 days a week, and either an RN or LPN/LVN on duty 24 hours per day. CNAs provide care to nursing home residents twenty four hours per day, seven days a week. The amount of physical therapy service hours depends on the needs of the resident.
Some nursing homes require more nursing staff due to the conditions of their residents, and other factors such as whether the nursing home has special care units. The Nursing Home Checklist can help you evaluate the nursing homes you visit. Also look at the State Inspection Results, particularly any Quality of Life or Quality of Care deficiencies.
According to McKnight’s, a recent study by the American Association of Nurse Assessment Coordination, “For a nurse assessment coordinator, the tension between the time needed to accurately assess a resident is often in conflict with other responsibilities and time spent in meetings,” said AANAC President and CEO Diane Carter, RN, MSN, RAC-CT, C-NE. Ms. Carter “encouraged nursing home managers to use the survey results to ensure that scheduling allows enough time for proper assessments and care planning.”
Proper assessment and care planning by the nursing home are critical to the safety of the resident. The Kosieradzki • Smith Law Firm represents clients in cases involving catastrophic injury caused by nursing homes and other care facilities that fail to provide proper care, including the required assessments and care plans. If you believe your loved one has been harmed due neglect or abuse in a nursing home, take action and contact the Kosieradzki • Smith Law Firm online or call us toll-free at (877) 552-2873 to set up a no-cost, no-obligation consultation.
