Most Effective Ways For Assisted Living Facilities To Maintain Appropriate Staffing Level

As the number of Americans over age 65 increases, assisted living facilities will be significantly impacted. Low staffing levels is an issue in all healthcare fields, but continues to become a crisis in geriatric care as patient volume rises. In order to meet this demand, assisted living facilities must find ways to maintain appropriate staffing levels so that they can provide adequate safety and care for all of their residents. One of the most effective ways to meet this need is by partnering with a Scottsdale medical recruiting agency.

What Challenges Are Assisted Living Facilities Facing Today?

Although optimal staffing levels are one of the key foundations to patient care, patient quality of life, and employee satisfaction, there are no federal mandates for staffing levels at assisted living facilities, nor are there any federal regulations monitoring the quality of care at a facility.

Lack of nursing staff leads to deficiencies in patient outcomes and care experiences. This can become more severe in very large assisted living facilities. With a Gilbert RN staffing agency, your assisted living facility can find the candidates you need to provide proper staffing levels that will promote better patient care, improved outcomes, and overall employee satisfaction.

What Are The Benefits Of Proper Staffing Levels In Assisted Living Facilities?

When assisted living facilities achieve proper staffing levels, everyone in the facility will benefit from a higher standard of patient care, increased revenue, decreased staff burnout, easier hiring processes, increased employee retention, and more.

Higher Standard Of Patient Care

Inadequate staff leads to adverse outcomes for patients. The right level of healthcare professionals from in your assisted living facility can mean:

Improved patient independence
Fewer pressure ulcers
Fewer infections
Weight maintenance
Appropriate use of antipsychotic medications
Lower mortality rates

Increased Revenue

A low nurse to patient ratio can result in fewer overall patients, which means decreased revenue for your facility. Facilities who have sub-optimal rates of occupancy due to low staffing will have ongoing cash flow complications. Prevent this issue by working with your Arizona nurse recruiting agency to maintain appropriate levels of staffing.

Decreased Burnout

It’s not surprising that healthcare workers quickly become burned out with the extra work that is required in a facility with inadequate staff. Burnout can be characterized by emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, feelings of failure or lack of accomplishment, physical fatigue, and poor work-life balance.

Tips For Improving Staffing Levels At Your Assisted Living Facility

Some of the practices your assisted living facility can consider to optimize staff levels include:

Become Familiar With State Requirements

Many states do not have staffing requirements for assisted living facilities, but their guidelines can provide valuable information for your facility regardless. Ideally, target for a better nurse-patient ratio than recommended.

Communicate With Others

Open communication with your local community with information that can be audited, such as staffing levels based on payroll, your facility’s needs, and requirements. Quarterly updates are recommended to keep information up to date.

Ensure Full Scheduling Coverage

Work with your staff to ensure appropriate staff to patio ratios for “off” hours such as weekends, evenings, and overnights. Your facility’s needs may be higher or lower based on the specific needs of your residents, how many patients you have, and other factors. Your Chandler RN staffing agency can help provide sufficient coverage for your needs.

Develop Your Own Protocols

Consider the unique needs of your own facility and develop your own personalized ratios. Some assisted living facilities find a nursing float pool to be an effective way to maintain flexibility and ensure sufficient staffing levels. Determine the maximum number of residents that each direct care work should be providing care for each day.

Obtain Feedback From Employees, Residents, & Families

Conduct occasional assessments of your facility’s staffing levels in order to improve outcomes, monitor quality, and have data available for prospective new residents. This data can fill gaps in your staffing strategy to promote employee retention, patient care, and family satisfaction with your services.

Develop Strategies For Employee Retention

Retaining your trained employees is better than continually hiring new employees. Develop ways to improve employee retention, such as offering generous PTO packages, bonuses, paid CEU opportunities, and competitive pay.

Work With A Staffing Agency

An experienced Queen Creek medical recruiting agency is an effective way to find ideal candidates for your assisted living facility.

Are You Ready To Improve Your Staffing Ratios?

Inadequate staffing takes a toll on everyone in your assisted living facility. If you are ready to improve your staffing levels, get in touch with the experienced team at One Stop Recruiting. As a combat wounded veteran owned business, we have the skills and experience you need to find short- and long-term healthcare workers who will be an asset to your facility. Whether you need physician’s assistants, nurses, case managers, or another healthcare professional, we can help fill your staffing needs with qualified professionals. Contact us today to get started!