Pandemic burnout coupled with competition from government unemployment benefits are being linked to staffing shortages across the country. In long-term care, the employee shortage is a top concern after a year of pandemic crises, according to a media report.
In Florida, the worker shortage has caused some long-term facilities to pause admissions or limit visitation times for family visits.
“I think COVID has just worn us all out,” Sandi Poreda, a spokeswoman for the Florida Senior Living Association, told ABC Action News, Tampa Bay. The association represents more than 450 assisted living communities.
“Managers are stepping in to cover shifts, so you’re looking at burnout pretty quickly. It’s not a sustainable position right now,” Poreda told the news station. Some operators are offering signing bonuses to attract workers.
Nursing home operators, because they primarily depend on government payments, can’t necessarily raise rates to increase wages, Kristen Knapp, a spokeswoman for the Florida Health Care Association, pointed out to the media outlet. And assisted living communities can’t reduce their operating hours, Poreda pointed out.
