Underpaid Nursing Home Workers Caring For Most Vulnerable Patients = Danger
For years, a crisis has been brewing in the nursing home industry where certified nursing assistants have received low wages and poor/no benefits while providing care to their residents. Many of these nursing assistant jobs require the employee to work erratic hourly schedules for poor benefits, little pay, and usually no opportunity to advance in their career. These jobs have been associated with high injury rates and high turnover.
Approximately 50% of all nursing assistants in the United States live well below the federal poverty level. Low pay often results in the need to work longer hours, which could cause fatigue and place the resident’s health in danger. The problem with underpaying and understaffing is likely to increase significantly in the years ahead, as the last of the baby boomers enter their retirement years, and the need for additional nursing home beds rises.
According to the US Bureau of Labor, the number of nursing home workers across America has doubled over the last decade with many more jobs likely available by 2024. Statistics show that the population of Americans over 85 years old will likely be doubled by 2030 where most will require some level of professional skilled nursing care at a facility or in their home.