Staffing Challenges in Senior Living Communities Continue to Skyrocket

Nursing homes and assisted living facilities continue to battle the effects of the pandemic on their organizations. Most nursing homes and assisted living communities are currently facing a severe staffing crisis. The American Health Care Association and National Center for Assisted Living recently conducted a survey finding that 94% of nursing home providers reported a shortage of staff, and 58% of nursing homes and 28% of assisted living facilities were limiting admission because of the shortages.

Not only does this affect overworked employees, but it also puts a strain on the entire long-term care system. After 2 years of the Covid-19 pandemic, vulnerable seniors are now forced to find alternative care and settle for subpar living conditions.

Weakening workforce conditions, increased turnover, and limited retention is leading to facility closures. This is a harsh reality for 78% of nursing homes and 71% of assisted living communities.

According to the survey, 59% of nursing homes and 30% of assisted living facilities have called their staffing shortages ‘severe’—making the labor crisis the biggest threat to senior living. If organizations are slow to enhance their internal operations, it will be evident in their employee’s satisfaction and longevity.

While there is no quick fix for this crisis, there are tactical solutions organizations can implement immediately to lessen the impact. Over the last decade, nursing homes and assisted living facilities have increasingly seen value in automating processes, such as intake automation, electronic health records, and virtual facility tours. The effectiveness of these tools has resulted in being able to use both human and financial capital for more strategic initiatives and focus more on resident care than monotonous tasks. For businesses to prevail in this climate, it is imperative that administrators embrace technology and automate as many processes as possible to improve business continuity and create sufficient procedures that are built to withstand turnover.

Redefining traditional workflows with cloud-based efficiency and artificial intelligence can safeguard finance teams from scrambling to hire for positions that are currently difficult to fill.

If you would like to learn more about sustainable solutions that will outlast the staffing crisis, click here.

Nick Miller

Nick Miller

Nick is the Account Executive for Paymerang’s Senior Living vertical. He served as an inside sales rep for over two years, speaking to communities regarding the pain points of AP. Nick graduated from Virginia Commonwealth University with a Bachelor’s degree in Marketing.