Horrible story behind Brookdale assisted living staffing shortages (relative, graduate, years)
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Assisted living managers say an algorithm prevented hiring enough staff The nation’s largest assisted-living chain uses a staffing algorithm; some managers say they quit or were fired after they complained it left facilities dangerously short-handed
"Two decades ago, a group of senior-housing executives came up with a way to raise revenue and reduce costs at assisted-living homes. Using stopwatches, they timed caregivers performing various tasks, from making beds to changing soiled briefs, and fed the information into a program they began using to determine staffing.
Brookdale Senior Living, the leading operator of senior homes with 652 facilities, acquired the algorithm-based system and used it to set staffing at its properties across the nation. But as Brookdale’s empire grew, employees complained the system, known as “Service Alignment,” failed to capture the nuances of caring for vulnerable seniors, documents and interviews show.
Assisted living managers say an algorithm prevented hiring enough staff The nation’s largest assisted-living chain uses a staffing algorithm; some managers say they quit or were fired after they complained it left facilities dangerously short-handed
"Two decades ago, a group of senior-housing executives came up with a way to raise revenue and reduce costs at assisted-living homes. Using stopwatches, they timed caregivers performing various tasks, from making beds to changing soiled briefs, and fed the information into a program they began using to determine staffing.
Brookdale Senior Living, the leading operator of senior homes with 652 facilities, acquired the algorithm-based system and used it to set staffing at its properties across the nation. But as Brookdale’s empire grew, employees complained the system, known as “Service Alignment,” failed to capture the nuances of caring for vulnerable seniors, documents and interviews show.
I worked in healthcare for years. Our RN to patient staffing ratios, especially in the ICU, were bad across the board even before COVID. We also ran two nursing homes - one of which I had a relative in, and visited every few weeks.
Prior to COVID, our system hired RN-BSNs at $18/hr. Yes, $18/hr. The pay has now gone up to $28/hr., but when an RN-BSN, can make two or three times that as a traveler, what are they going to do? Most of the competent people left for better paying travel positions. The only people we were able to keep as FTE nurses were new graduates with less than two years experience, people close to retirement age that didn't want to change, and those who couldn't hack it elsewhere.
The LPNs and CNAs that are the backbone of nursing care are paid less, and probably deal with more BS than the average RN. An LPN makes what a Target worker would around here. I think CNAs are still $15/hr. or so.
Throw in an algorithm that is trying to "optimize" their existing staff with too few staff to begin with is going to lead to disaster.
My hospital job instituted a form that took an hour to fill out about tasks and staffing. All you had to do really was ask the staff if they needed one more person or not. The first thing the new director did was throw the forms out.
Whenever I see something like this, I picture someone getting a master's degree and this is their thesis.
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