In an industry that already has a staffing shortage, the Coronavirus pandemic has been pulling at the seams of Florida’s nursing homes. Source.
According to a state emergency order, nursing home facilities are now able to hire “personal care attendants” that require less training to help with basic duties. However, Louise Merrick, administrator of Gulf Shore Care Center, has decided not to take advantage of this emergency order, stating that “In our facility we took the stance that we’d rather have someone with more advanced training who has finished their (certified nursing assistant) class.”
Even with some nursing home facilities neglecting to hire less trained staffers, these personal care attendants could become a permanent fixture in Florida’s long-term care systems. Senate Bill 1132 and House Bill 485 would allow these staff members to work at nursing homes and assisted living facilities for up to four months after completing eight hours of training. After four months, they would then be required to pass their certified nursing exam in order to continue working at the facility.
The required eight hours of training consists of three hours of clinical training and five hours of classroom instruction. Personal care assistants would then work alongside a certified nursing assistant, helping with basic care duties.
Making this program permanent could help ease the staffing shortage in Florida’s nursing homes, but this comes with the concern that the quality of care could be lowered to dangerous levels. Despite the training, there is concern that only requiring eight hours of training will de-professionalize those working in nursing homes and assisted living facilities.
The lower levels of training required for new staff members leave nursing home residents at a bigger risk of being neglected. The personal injury attorneys at Beltz & Beltz represent the victims and the families of the victims of nursing home abuse. If you need representation for your family member in your nursing home abuse case, contact Beltz & Beltz.
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