One of the most single important questions that one can ask is about the staffing.  Without appropriate staffing your loved one will perhaps not recieve sufficient enough care. 

Ask about the ratio of nursing assistants to residents.  Very genrally speaking this ratio should be somewhere around 9:1.  This ratio would permit the STNA enough time to fully care for everyone's needs.  A ratio higher than that would be difficult for an STNA to meet everyone's needs/wants.  The work of an STNA is a VERY difficult one and with high ratios of residents to STNA the job becomes even more difficult and frustrating for the STNA equaling poor work performance. 

Also inquire about LPN(Licensed Practical Nurse) and RN(Registered Nurse) ratios.  Though most states do not have a standard ratio of residents to nurse, there is a typical line that most homes follow.  Usually, that ration is 20-25:1.  Just as in the case of an STNA who has higher than capable numbers, the nurse can also become frustrated if the number of residents to care for become too high. 

Care-giver strain is a hugely overlooked condition within health care.  This is what most nurses term "burn out".  With this strain you can find nursing staff that no longer see the compassionate side of what they do and they simply are trying to survive day-to-day within their facility.  I will eleborate further on care-give strain in a future blog.

Ask if call-offs are a problem.  The likely answer will be "no", but inquire further.  Ask if the facility uses Temporaty Nursing Services to fill call-offs off nursing staff.  If the answer is "yes", be cautious.  Why is this facilty not filling its voids with staff they already know? and why is the staff NOT wanting to work extra hours. I will also elaborate further in a future blog.

Staffing numbers are essential to provide optimal care.  Although all facilities have some difficulty filling voids, many do not move aggressively towards maintain good working staff and consistency.  Your loved one will find it most comfortable seeing the same faces the majority of the time.  This helps to promote good continuity of care and confidence that their needs/desires will be met.



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