Poll of 760 workers found more than 90 per cent said they were being forced to compromise on care due to understaffing
More than half of nursing home staff believe that staff shortages are affecting the quality of care residents receive, while more than four-in-five say they didn’t have enough time to provide residents with the care they need, a new survey has found.
The poll of 760 staff – mostly health care assistants – conducted by trade union SIPTU also found that 43 per cent reported working in a nursing home that is ‘rarely’ or ‘never’ adequately staffed.
More than 90 per cent of respondents said they were being forced to compromise on care due to understaffing. Over half (56 per cent) of respondents said that care tasks are sometimes skipped due to time pressure or short staffing, while 30 per cent said these tasks are regularly skipped for these reasons.
“Chronic understaffing is the result of the state’s refusal to value care work, undermining care for elderly residents in Ireland’s nursing homes,” said SIPTU’s head of strategic organising Darragh O’Connor.
“We urge the Government to act now and introduce a clear mechanism to improve pay and conditions for healthcare workers in the private sector.”
The survey found that 49 per cent of private nursing home health care assistants are actively looking for work in another sector, with low pay cited as the biggest push factor (78 per cent), followed by stress and burnout (71 per cent).
“The findings of the report serve as an urgent warning to employers and the Government on the worsening crisis within the private nursing home sector, which is threatening the care of our elderly citizens,” said SIPTU sector organiser Liz Cloherty.
“The conclusions are clear: it is not possible to maintain high standards of care with a workforce that is burnt-out, underpaid and actively looking to leave.”
The survey also gathered reactions from workers dealing with the personal impacts of staff shortages. “I go home crying because I know I didn’t get to spend time with ‘Mary’ or ‘John’ because I was too busy covering for short staff,” one worker said. “It feels like we are failing them.”
Another added: “Residents are left alone for long periods. We don’t have time to sit and talk to them, just task, task, task. It’s heartbreaking.”
One worker emphasised the close bond workers can have with the people they care for: “We are the residents’ family. We are the ones holding their hands when they die. We just want to be respected for that.”
Launching the survey, health care assistant Martha Buckley, said: “I see firsthand that our work is the heartbeat of the nursing home; we don’t just provide clinical support, we provide the companionship, reassurance and dignity that turn a place of care into a true home for residents. Our roles can involve intense physical and emotional labour, yet the true ‘hard work’ often goes unseen.”