Rep. Deluzio, nursing home workers talk safe staffing in Beaver County

Chrissy Suttles, Beaver County Times
·2 min read
Signs lay on the grass outside of the Beaver Valley Healthcare and Rehab Center in 2021 before a proposed strike, wich was averted by a contract agreement.
Signs lay on the grass outside of the Beaver Valley Healthcare and Rehab Center in 2021 before a proposed strike, wich was averted by a contract agreement.
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Editor's Note: This story was updated March 31, 2023, to correct a strike location.

VANPORT TWP. – Unionized Beaver County nursing home workers gathered last Saturday to call for safer staffing levels and livable wages in the industry.

The roundtable, held at the IBEW Local 712 union hall in Vanport Township, was organized by U.S. Rep. Chris Deluzio, D-17, Aspinwall, and SEIU Healthcare Pennsylvania to elevate workers’ stories about “being understaffed, overworked and underpaid” while caring for some of the county’s most vulnerable residents.

The nursing home industry has been hit hard by staffing shortages in recent decades. Severe understaffing was exacerbated by COVID-19. In a January American Health Care Association report, 86% of surveyed nursing homes in the U.S. experienced moderate to severe staffing shortages, and 96% reported trouble hiring additional staff.

Employee burnout, heavy workloads and stagnant wages are all contributors to inadequate staffing in the nation’s nursing homes. Beaver County employees said Saturday they’ve been responsible for as many as 25 residents at once. In facilities that house older adults and people with disabilities, a short supply of healthcare professionals can lead to deadly accidents and neglect, roundtable participants said.

A roundtable held at the IBEW Local 712 union hall in Vanport Township was organized by U.S. Rep. Chris Deluzio, D-17, Aspinwall, and SEIU Healthcare Pennsylvania to elevate nursing home workers’ stories about “being understaffed, overworked and underpaid."
A roundtable held at the IBEW Local 712 union hall in Vanport Township was organized by U.S. Rep. Chris Deluzio, D-17, Aspinwall, and SEIU Healthcare Pennsylvania to elevate nursing home workers’ stories about “being understaffed, overworked and underpaid."

“It’s heartbreaking,” said Shelly Houk, a certified nursing assistant at a Beaver County nursing home. “Back in the day, we used to be able to sit and have a conversation with our residents, curl their hair. Some residents like to just talk about things in their lives, but you don’t have time to talk to them. Some residents don’t have family members, don’t have anything, and you might be all they have. With more staffing, we’d be able to give residents more than just a brush-over.”

Pennsylvania last year finalized new staffing ratio rules for nursing home workers to be implemented over several years. Once in place, certified nursing assistants, for example, will care for a maximum of 10 residents during day shifts and 15 during overnight shifts. The modern staffing requirements represented the first time in 25 years Pennsylvania updated its nursing home regulations, former Gov. Tom Wolf said.

More: 24 PA nursing homes to strike Sept. 2

Now, the focus is on national staffing standards, Deluzio said.

Deluzio signed a letter demanding Congress take action on federal nursing home reforms, including national staffing standards. The letter also pushes the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to improve staffing data collection and examine payments to ensure reimbursement rates are sufficient to meet safe staffing standards.

“High-quality care in our nursing homes can only be achieved through safe staffing standards,” said Deluzio. “We heard plenty of talk calling these essential workers ‘heroes’ during the pandemic, but we need action to improve both the level of care and workplace quality in our nursing homes.”

This article originally appeared on Beaver County Times: US Rep. Chris Deluzio, nursing home workers talk safe staffing in Beaver County