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CNAs need better wages, CNAs the heart of Nursing Home Care
Testimony of Dermot Sporbert, Asst. Supervisor Long Term Care Ombudsman Program
6/16/00 - Legislative Hearing, Dalton, MA.
The need for significant increase in wages and benefits for certified nursing assistants and ancillary personnel cannot be ignored any longer.
The chronic staffing shortages have created a crisis situation which is seriously affecting the quality of care being rendered to our elderly nursing home residents.
Residents are suffering due to the lack of proper care they are receiving at the hands of certified nursing assistants who are overworked, underpaid, under appreciated and carrying the burden of being understaffed on their shoulders.
If we expect to deliver the best care possible to residents in nursing homes then we must be willing to do the best we can for those employees who are delivering the direct hands-on resident care.
Staffing shortages also affect other departments such as dietary, housekeeping, and laundry and have a direct impact on resident care.
The certified nursing assistants are the backbone of the long term care profession. They are responsible for taking care of our elderly. Any reputation a facility obtains for providing high quality, compassionate care, is earned through the efforts of the CNAs. They are the ones giving the direct resident care - they are the heart and soul and spirit of long term care. Where would health care be without them? We have not done right by them. They have earned and they deserve to be treated better.
It is impossible for CNAs to give a high level of direct resident care when two or three CNAs are scheduled to care for 40 to 60 residents. Even the most skilled care-giver cannot do an effective job when forced to care for 20 residents by her/himself. We need to elevate the role of CNAs and recognize the invaluable work they perform.
Most are hard working, dedicated people who enjoy taking care of their residents. We expect them to work long hours, double shifts, carry an impossible work load, come in on their days and weekends off to cover shifts, and provide top level patient care - 24 hours a day.
CNAs, because of the severe shortage of staff, are overworked, underpaid and over stressed. They have families to raise, elderly parents and/or family members to care for, mortgages and bills to pay. They need to be compensated for the immense part they play in caring for other human beings.
If we are truly serious in improving and providing quality health care, if we are truly serious in enhancing the quality of life for those in long term care facilities, if we are truly serious about treating our elderly with the dignity and respect they deserve - then we must do whatever it takes to provide higher wages, better benefits, improved working environments, and proper recognition for direct health care-givers.
CNAs spend the most time with their residents, in caring for them. Their residents depend on the aides to help meet their many, many needs. When forced to work short-staffed, resident care suffers greatly. Residents are not properly bathed, cleaned, changed, fed, walked, etc. as they should be. Employee morale suffers greatly.
Thank you for your concern to help resolve the chronic staffing shortages that are now affecting many Massachusetts nursing homes.