Nursing homes in North Carolina are dangerously short-staffed. Hiring and retaining caregivers for these facilities is a challenge nationwide, but here the problem is particularly acute. When the coronavirus pandemic began, nursing homes and their residents were hit the hardest by the health crisis, and many facilities are still struggling to recover.
A recent investigation by the Charlotte Observer found that the staffing crisis and key protections rolled back during the pandemic have left already vulnerable residents without the care they need.
We’ll examine why this is happening, what can be done about it, and the impact staffing shortages are having on residents and their families. Plus, how to find a good quality facility for your loved ones, what to look for and what questions to ask.
Guests
Ames Alexander, investigative reporter for The Charlotte Observer, he reported on the nursing home staff shortage crisis in a special series.
Lauren Zingraff, executive director, Friends of Residents in Long Term Care
Hillary Kaylor, regional ombudsman with Centralina Area Agency on Aging
Marilynn Lester, she was featured in the Observer series, her mother died at a short-staffed nursing home in Cornelius.
