More than half of nursing home and assisted-living operators say they had workers quit last year

Ninety-four percent of nursing homes and 81% of assisted-living facilities say that they are facing staffing shortages, according to a new survey released by the the American Health Care Association and National Center for Assisted Living.

The survey asked operators at 616 nursing homes and 122 assisted-living facilities across the country about their staffing challenges. 

Over half of nursing home and assisted-living operators say that they lost staff members last year, during COVID-19, due to workers quitting. In addition, nearly 75% of nursing home operators and almost 60% of assisted-living operators say that their overall workforce situation has gotten worse since last year. 

A majority of respondents say they believe that higher reimbursements to offer better pay and benefits would help recruit and retain workers.