Staff Ratios For Nursing Care Homes Are Very Important
Nursing care homes are the places where the elderly and the infirm stay for continuous care and attention; which is something they often cannot get at home because of various reasons.
Understandably, such homes must have appropriate facilities and adequate number of staff so as to eliminate (as much as possible) risks of negligence or abuse.
In fact, all care homes across the nation are required by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) to ensure that they have sufficient number of trained staff in order to meet certain standards.
As the owner or manager of a care home, you must recognize the importance of having a healthy staff-patient ratio in your premises.
This is because there are several reasons why a nursing home with inadequate staff cannot provide a high quality of service to its resident.
Inadequate Staff Raises Risk of Abuse Elderly people admitted to care homes have a lot of health issues which require continuous attention, love and care.
Some patients cannot convey their needs and difficulties clearly whereas others require continuous assistance in daily chores such as feeding or bathing.
Still others may be suffering from dementia or other mentally debilitating ailments.
It is so easy for indifferent staff who are overworked to abuse such patients without the home authorities being aware of it.
Abuse may be in any form; for example, forgetting a simple request to failing to serve warm meals on time.
It may be insignificant; unintentional or may have severe repercussions on the patient's health in the long term.
Poor Staff Ratio puts Patients' Health in Danger Nursing care homes have patients who are vulnerable and often at the mercy of their caregivers.
In most cases, they are already suffering from certain ailments or their advanced age makes them immune-compromised.
Understandably, they are more vulnerable to falling ill too often in case they are forced to stay under unhygienic conditions.
However, in care homes with inadequate number of staff this is exactly what happens.
Moreover, staff at such homes is often forced to take on responsibilities which they are not trained for.
In the absence of adequate number of staff with specific training, regular staff has to understand prescriptions, give out medicines and understand the symptoms of sickness which may not always be accurate.
Shortage of Staff can leave Residents Malnourished It is very important for the elderly and ailing residents of nursing care homes to get wholesome meals on time.
Often, their meals need to be prepared and served in a special manner as they cannot masticate or digest like normal people.
However, in homes that are short of staff, it is often noticed that meals are not served on time or there is nobody to carry them to all the residents simultaneously.
In some cases, there is nobody to feed a particular patient on time or response time to calls for aid are very prolonged.
All this naturally has an impact on the health of patients, many of whom no longer want to eat once the meal has gone cold or once it is beyond their normal mealtime.
And since the elderly can behave like children at times, it is all the more important to have adequate number of staff to help them with their meals and diet.
Understandably, such homes must have appropriate facilities and adequate number of staff so as to eliminate (as much as possible) risks of negligence or abuse.
In fact, all care homes across the nation are required by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) to ensure that they have sufficient number of trained staff in order to meet certain standards.
As the owner or manager of a care home, you must recognize the importance of having a healthy staff-patient ratio in your premises.
This is because there are several reasons why a nursing home with inadequate staff cannot provide a high quality of service to its resident.
Inadequate Staff Raises Risk of Abuse Elderly people admitted to care homes have a lot of health issues which require continuous attention, love and care.
Some patients cannot convey their needs and difficulties clearly whereas others require continuous assistance in daily chores such as feeding or bathing.
Still others may be suffering from dementia or other mentally debilitating ailments.
It is so easy for indifferent staff who are overworked to abuse such patients without the home authorities being aware of it.
Abuse may be in any form; for example, forgetting a simple request to failing to serve warm meals on time.
It may be insignificant; unintentional or may have severe repercussions on the patient's health in the long term.
Poor Staff Ratio puts Patients' Health in Danger Nursing care homes have patients who are vulnerable and often at the mercy of their caregivers.
In most cases, they are already suffering from certain ailments or their advanced age makes them immune-compromised.
Understandably, they are more vulnerable to falling ill too often in case they are forced to stay under unhygienic conditions.
However, in care homes with inadequate number of staff this is exactly what happens.
Moreover, staff at such homes is often forced to take on responsibilities which they are not trained for.
In the absence of adequate number of staff with specific training, regular staff has to understand prescriptions, give out medicines and understand the symptoms of sickness which may not always be accurate.
Shortage of Staff can leave Residents Malnourished It is very important for the elderly and ailing residents of nursing care homes to get wholesome meals on time.
Often, their meals need to be prepared and served in a special manner as they cannot masticate or digest like normal people.
However, in homes that are short of staff, it is often noticed that meals are not served on time or there is nobody to carry them to all the residents simultaneously.
In some cases, there is nobody to feed a particular patient on time or response time to calls for aid are very prolonged.
All this naturally has an impact on the health of patients, many of whom no longer want to eat once the meal has gone cold or once it is beyond their normal mealtime.
And since the elderly can behave like children at times, it is all the more important to have adequate number of staff to help them with their meals and diet.