Complaint Investigation Report

Insufficient number of staff endangering residents’ safety.

It was reported that the facility had cut back on staffing which left 1 staff to care for more than 20 residents including residents who require a 2 person assist.

The facility is licensed for a capacity of 88 residents and had a census of 35 residents on the day that the complaint was opened.

LPA reviewed staffing schedules for the months of June 18 through July 29, 2023 and the staff schedules showed that 1 Med Tech and 1 care staff were scheduled on duty for each shift on both the assisted living and memory care sections of the building. LPA reviewed 5 resident care plans and 4 of 5 of the residents reviewed required 2 person assistance with activities of daily living as needed. LPA reviewed incident reports for falls that were submitted by the facility for the months of March 2023 through August 2023. There was not a significant increase in reported falls during that time period.

LPA interviewed different staff 2 months apart. In June 2023 staff stated between 1 and 5 residents were a 2 person assist, 2 months later staff stated there were between 6 to 10 residents who required a 2 person assist. 5 of 6 staff stated there is 1 Med Tech and 1 care giver on each side of the facility (assisted living and memory care). 6 of 6 staff stated the facility has cut back on staff hours. 2 of 6 staff stated the facility cut back on staff hours by increasing the lunch breaks and changing the shift start time by 15 minutes later than previous. 5 of 6 staff stated they do not think there are enough staff on each shift to ensure the safety of the residents. 5 of 6 staff stated they do not think there are enough staff on each shift to provide the necessary care for the residents. No staff provided specific examples of resident care being adversely affected or residents being endangered as a result of the staffing levels.