SNFs should treat staffing levels as a floor, not a ceiling, and invest in staff training, turnover reduction, and environmental modifications to meaningfully close quality gaps reflected in Five Star ratings.
Dementia, Nurse Staffing, and Health Outcomes in Nursing Homes
We found that registered nurses and certified nurse assistants HPRDs were likely to exhibit positive returns in outcomes for both low and high ADRD-CI census facilities… [increasing staffing] alone will not suffice to close these gaps. Further studies are required to identify opportunities for improvement in performance for both low- and high-dementia census facilities.
Mukamel, Dana B., et al. “Dementia, Nurse Staffing, and Health Outcomes in Nursing Homes.” Health Services Research, 29 December 2023. https://doi.org/10.1111/1475-6773.14270
Increased Staffing May Only Be Part of Improved Care for Nursing Home Residents with Dementia
These outcome discrepancies among nursing homes with varying percentages of residents with dementia indicate that simply increasing staffing levels may not be sufficient to address disparities in care. Overall, the study findings suggest that while increasing staffing can improve outcomes for residents in both types of nursing homes, this measure alone may not eliminate differences in outcomes between homes with high and low populations of residents with dementia. To close these gaps in care, the authors emphasize the importance of identifying other potential areas of improvement, including staff training, facility design, and staffing stability.
— National Institute on Aging, May 2, 2024
Boosting Staff Alone Does Not Improve Outcomes for Nursing Home Residents with Dementia, Study Finds
“Our findings highlight the fact that high-quality care involves not only increased staffing, but also specialized training in practices proven to be effective in managing the complexities of this condition, as well as providing a secure environment and maintaining staff consistency,” Mukamel said.
— McKnight’s Long-Term Care News, January 10, 2024
More Staff Not Necessarily the Solution for High-Dementia Nursing Homes, Researchers Find
“Our study finds that two things matter — number of staff and staff training, skills and knowledge,” Mukamel told McKnight’s Long-Term Care News. “Those nursing homes that have low staffing should definitely first attend to increasing staffing size…. Those facilities that are already well staffed, or are finding that increasing staffing at this time due to shortages is not feasible, should consider specialized training for staff caring for residents with dementia.”
— McKnight’s Long-Term Care News, January 10, 2024
Dementia Patients in Nursing Homes Don’t Necessarily Benefit from Just Boosting Staff – Study
“Providing appropriate, high-quality care to residents with [Alzheimer’s disease, related dementias or cognitive impairment] is not only a matter of employing more staff but also employing staff that is trained with techniques that have been shown to be efficacious. Staff consistency and predictability are also important, as these allow staff to become familiar with the residents, better understand them and create rapport.”
— Skilled Nursing News, January 9, 2024
