Nearly three-quarters of the respondents to a Pennsylvania Health Care Association member survey last month said they’ve had to limit or put on hold admissions within the past six months.
The responses, released Tuesday, provide a sampling of the concerns currently facing long-term care in Pennsylvania in nursing homes, assisted living communities and personal care homes.
“The workforce crisis in long-term care was a concern long before the COVID-19 pandemic, but now we’re seeing the real consequence: our vulnerable seniors in Pennsylvania are being turned away when seeking care,” PHCA President and CEO Zach Shamberg said.
“A direct care workforce shortage means that a state with one of the oldest populations in the country will be unable to meet its obligation to our senior citizens, forcing elderly patients to remain in hospitals, or return home without the resources and support they need,” he added.
As a result of lack of staff, 74% of survey respondents overall said they have had to limit or put on hold admissions within the past six months. Eighty-five percent of nursing home respondents said they have limited admissions, and 36% of assisted living and personal care respondents gave the same response. Hence, 50% of the overall respondents have created waiting lists for older adults in need of care.
Almost 40% of the operators surveyed expressed concern that their businesses won’t last beyond a year, and some said they already are starting to close or sell facilities.
Almost two-thirds of the operators said they are concerned about implementing the Biden administration’s forthcoming COVID-19 vaccine mandate.
Based on the survey results, PHCA recommends that the state’s policymakers invest in the state’s Medicaid plan, implement alternatives to COVID-19 vaccine requirements, such as testing, and establish policies to support a workforce pipeline.
