I had the pleasure to be involved in transitioning a Therapy department from a different company to the company I work for this past week. It is always a stressful situation when contracts change. There are always worries and questions as to what to expect from the new company.
Staffing is always a challenge
Staffing can be a huge challenge for an established team. It is one of the hardest aspects of being a successful therapy department.
In order to keep well situated for changes in census as well as being able to cover illnesses and paid time off, a department needs a healthy supply of PRN (as needed) therapists.
Urban dynamics
Staffing is typically easier in urban areas, naturally there is an increase of available therapists due to the sheer increases number of residents in an area.
Suburban dynamics
In a suburban area you can have some increased difficulty but still have a healthy supply of therapists that live in suburban areas or willing to drive out from urban areas.
Light Rural dynamics
As we progress further out into lightly rural and small town areas we really begin to have some significant staffing challenges. Often a fully staffed team is possible. The challenge happens with a healthy PRN pool of workers to cover illnesses, vacations, or even rapid rise in caseload.
Rural dynamics
The most challenging for staffing is a truely rural area. Often it is extremely difficult to have any staff. These staff members might be full time or they might be PRN working multiple facilities throughout the week. This staffing model unfortunately can be the only way to be able to get the needed care to our elderly residents of nursing homes in significantly rural areas.
Increased pressure due to Medicare regulation pressure
These rural areas are the most significantly affected areas when Medicare guidelines change requiring increased regulation and increased burden of care. These are also the most highly affected by any reimbursement cuts that can directly affect staffing ability.
Need to be an advocate
The best thing that we can do is be an advocate. The more we stand up for the right to healthcare access for all of our elderly, the less pressure there is for the access to skilled caregivers they have. These seniors have the same right to access appropriate Healthcare as their peers that live in more urban areas. We need to have significant change to reimbursement models to make sure that therapists, nurses, and all the supporting staff can actually make a living and survive in these professions.
Eye opening to see in person
It is one thing to talk about the effects on rural nursing homes or how it effects all aspects of staffing. It is truely eye opening to have the privilege to see it first hand.
My assignment recently was to transition a truely rural nursing home into our company. I was able to talk to therapists that work in this setting and it was very humbling to hear employees driving over an hour each way to and from work just to do what they love. They truely live to care for our most vulnerable. It truely was an example of staffing by committe, two full time therapists and daily coverage by rotation of PRNs. When asked about being able to take any time off,,,,,,,”I know what I signed up for, but I love it here”.
This is absolutely why all of us need to make sure they get the resources they need and not make it any more difficult to serve this population. Let’s do our part.
Thank you for the eye opening experience new partners. I am so proud to call you assets to our company. Keep up the hard work and make a difference in someone’s life.
