Nurse shortage is crippling hospitals, centers that provide care in Western Pennsylvania

[TexasTowelie]

A long predicted shortage across the continuum of nursing and direct care workers has come home to roost in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic. Shortages are rippling across the country fueled in part, experts say, by pandemic trauma and burnout.

The issue is critical in Western Pennsylvania.

In a region characterized by a rapidly graying population and a shrinking workforce, help wanted signs are popping up at private home care agencies, personal care homes, assisted living and nursing homes, community hospitals and sprawling academic and tertiary care hospitals.

Like the fast food industry, some hospitals desperate to fill nursing vacancies are dangling signing bonuses— as much as $15,000 for experienced registered nurses at UPMC and AHN hospitals and outpatient facilities.

At the most basic level, staffing agencies that provide non-licensed short term care workers who help people remain in their homes and avoid moving to a personal care or assisted living are simply turning away calls for help.

Read more: https://triblive.com/local/regional/nurse-shortage-is-crippling-hospitals-centers-that-provide-care-in-western-pa/

[Grins]

1. I think I found yer' problem....

“Offering wages of $11 to $12.50 an hour with no health insurance…”

Story on CNN yesterday about crowds at National Parks. Showed a graphic where McDonalds in Moab, Utah was offering $18 an hour to get workers.

So it’s not because of the cost that they don’t pay decent wages, it’s that - THEY DON’T WANT TO!

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

4. That wage offer of $11 to $12.50/hour is from a company named Senior Helpers,

which I strongly suspect is not offering those wages to actual nurses.

Nurses make extremely good money these days. The article is conflating nurses with health care aides.

[SWBTATTReg]

2. Interesting read...thanks for popping this article up on DU. My cousin and her friend, both

nurses in a rural part of MO, have looked at moving to the big city (STL or KC, they're currently in SPFD MO), there is a big demand by the many many hospital complexes in STL for medical personnel, estimated to number in the 30,000+ jobs/positions, a huge number. They still haven't, and in a way, I don't blame them...they're into fishing, etc. and you really don't get that in the immediate STLMO area unless you drive out to the county 50 to 100 miles away.

Rural areas and their hospitals, clinics, etc. can't pay as much as the urban or city hospitals can. Many smaller clinics and/or hospitals are being closed too (in MO at least). Also, getting medical personnel, other type of personnel out to rural areas/homes is almost impossible, lack of enough personnel, too costly, etc.

Claims that rural areas offer more to life for those who live in rural areas as well as having a lower cost of living, aren't true either as my Mom, who listened to my Dad when they moved to a rural area of the Ozarks, found out. She hated living out there w/ little to do. As a result, my Mom was so mad at my Dad, everything they did involved a minimum trip of at least 50-100 miles away. Everything.

That was one of the biggest problems we had, as kids, in trying to convince them (parents) to move to at least Joplin or some bigger city so they would be closer to things that they needed. They resisted and in the end, unfortunately, when my Mom (Dad already passed) fell and collapsed in her yard late one night (in the Ozarks, she was checking on fireworks going off in her area), no one found her until the morning. Thus she got rained on, and worse, being outside all night. There comes a time when parents' well being becomes paramount, and parents' desires needs to be put aside.

We can never change my Mom's decision to stay out in the Ozarks where help is far away, everything is at least 1/2 an hour away, so that decision of hers basically killed her. Sad, but what can you do? You try and respect parents' wishes but sometimes...one must do what one must do, unpleasant as it may sound/may be.

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

5. I am so sorry about your mother's decision.

I hear of similar things all the time, mostly parents insisting on staying in a home they've been in for fifty years, not acknowledging the reality that they can't do the needed repairs, maybe can't keep it reasonably clean, can no longer cook for themselves, and so on. I'm 72, and I've assumed for years now that I will eventually move into independent/assisted living. That should be a ways down the road, but by the time I'm 80 I probably should be seriously researching places to move to.

[SWBTATTReg]

6. Thanks. And we both know that sure, moving elsewhere is a difficult decision but one has to be...

reasonable about what's available in the area they are currently located at. My mom did manage to get someone to clean the house so that's one good thing but as to other things being done, especially when so far out in the country, no. In meals, they would take shortcuts in getting larger orders of already made sandwiches, etc., and stocking up on, so they didn't have to spend so much time in prep'ing meals, a good thing too.

You're smart, already realizing that one day (and maybe never, hopefully, we all hope this, that our health will remain good) we'll all have to move into assisted living quarters, or need more help in doing things, while still living in one's home, such as shopping, fixing / cooking meals, doing general things around the property, etc. (you know what I mean), and being accessible to such services, e.g., living in more populated areas, will help.

We tried to get them to buy a small condo, sell the big house, but they didn't want to, still insisted on maintaining a 2000 sq. ft home w/ all of its maint. issues, in short, a lot of things to be on top of. Driving also was another issue, being that they did have more visits (a result of their age) to doctor's offices, etc., and the drives were pretty long (min. of 50 miles one way). They did get smart, and would stay there (the city where the doc's offices were) at a hotel/motel, so that was good.

So many things to consider when we get older, eh? My best to you, and thanks again.

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

7. It seems that the main reason so many older people don't want to relocate or go into

independent/assisted living, is that they've lived in their current home for decades. The very thought of moving is quite scary, even if they don't have boxcarloads of possessions that need to be culled.

I've moved somewhat often much of my life, and made my most recent relocation at age 60. My marriage had come to an end and I decided I didn't want to stay in Dodge -- actually Overland Park, KS -- did some research including three different road trips looking at various parts of the country. I moved to Santa Fe, NM in 2008 and it was the best thing I could have done for myself. When my son is finished with grad school and hopefully gets a permanent job somewhere, I will probably relocate to be a lot closer to him. Right now he's near Washington DC, and it's been approaching two years since I last saw him. I also want to make my end-of-life things easier for him to deal with, and being much closer would help out. My joke is that I want to make it easy for him to sign the DNR orders for me.

It does seem as if you've made some small progress in getting your parents to be realistic about their living situation. Perhaps they will slowly move in the direction of downsizing, getting the help that they need, and perhaps move to a place with more services nearby.

I do hope that all those who read this thread are honest with themselves and to aging parents.

[Diamond_Dog]

3. Maybe some encouragement

For immigrants who work in health care and nursing would help.

And of course, better pay and benefits.