Dementia unit staffing levels - AIBU

[Lunarpsychobitch]

My dad is in a 12 bed EMI /Dementia unit. I visited yesterday and there were only 2 staff on site. It was lunchtime and I stayed to feed dad because the staff were so busy (which I'm more than happy to do) but AIBU thinking that a unit with 12 Dementia residents should have more staff?

Surely this is dangerous, e.g. if it takes 2 staff to toilet one of the residents, who is 'keeping an eye' on the others or if 6 of those 12 residents need assistance with their food, is it cold by the time they get it???

Not sure if I should report this, or even where to repirt it to 🤷‍♀️ WWYD?

Is this in a private care home? My mum has dementia but can still feed herself. I do worry what her future will be like in a dementia unit. I'd definitely question it. It costs a lot of money for residents and surely feeding them and making sure they're hydrated is the absolutely blinking minimum care they should be able to expect!

I’m sorry you have the worry of this. Are they understaffed temporarily, or is this the usual level? I’m assuming this is in a care home? Would you be able to voice your concerns over staffing levels to the Manager? If you feel that the staffing levels are impacting on the well-being and safety of your Dad and the other residents, then you can report to the CQC.

In my opinion and experience, the staff/resident ratio is never high enough in care homes. Looking after vulnerable elderly people, often with impaired mobility, is labour intensive if it is to be done properly and to a high standard, even more the case where residents have mh issues. Unfortunately that costs money, which most care homes don’t want/have available to spend. The quality of life for the residents is inevitably diminished. I hope you are able to express your misgivings, and that the situation improves for your Dad.

These types of units are really difficult to staff , the work is physically and mentally tiring . They won't pay the staff decent wages so people leave . God knows why they charge enough .
The staff do what they can but 🤷🏻‍♀️.
I would discuss .

I work in a 25 plus dementia unit, days there are 4 carers and a Senior carer. Nights there are 3 of us.

Yes, it's private and up until a few months ago dad could feed himself.

I feel your pain, it's such an awful illness 😪

My uncle was in a private care home run by a well known large healthcare company. In our experience as a family care was poor and if we did not feed him no-one did. Over time he lost a shocking amount of weight even with our care and was often left without adequate care. We complained constantly which made things better, but I think you are right to be concerned.

I'm hoping this is temporary but it's the first time I've visited and been made aware that there were only 2 staff on, normally I do see more. The thing is, I live over 2 hours away and can only visit every fortnight so I'm not sure what happens on a daily basis..

Initially when dad moved in (Dec 2020) things were great and the staff were amazing. A lot of those staff have now left unfortunately. One of them is a relative of my friend who told me she left because of the management and her erratic shift pattern e.g dayshift, day off nightshift, day off then 2 dayshifts....

The manager also left in Feb and I believe someone new started about a month ago but as a family, none of us have been notified who it is, or had an introductory email.

The home also had a COVID outbreak just after the manager left and closed down for a few weeks. Since reopening, I've noticed a difference in my dad, which could be related to either his medication or a decrease in his condition due to having had COVID recently but he gets really upset when I'm leaving, I didn't think he was going to let go when I hugged him as I left yesterday.

I just worry that there's more going on and he's unhappy but unable to tell me.

@Brainwave89 I'm so sorry you had such a poor experience. It's such a worry

Can you look into moving him to somewhere nearer to you? At least you would be able to keep a closer eye on things. Would he be able to make the journey, as a one off?

Also, I wouldn’t hesitate in reporting your worries to the CQC. I think you can do it online.

It will be dangerously understaffed.

Report it by all means but if you can’t get the staff you can’t magic them up out of nowhere.

Its a very, very hard job that is paid woefully, hence why they cannot maintain adequate staffing levels.

It is sad but unfortunately “the norm” certainly in older social care settings.

@watcherintherye where he is at the minute is about halfway in between where me and my brother live. He visits one weekend, I go the next. If we move him it means one of us would have an 8-9hour round trip to see him.

Oh, I see. Yes, it’s difficult. What goes your brother think of the home? Have you considered looking for somewhere else with similar travel times for you both?

@JollyWilloughby I agree re the pay and definitely think staff in care homes are very undervalued by the management companies, particularly during the pandemic.

The ratio where i used to work was 1 staff to 5 in the morning and 1 staff to 8 in the afternoon. So we had 2 hca and a nurse to 13 patients. At night it was 1 hca and a nurse to 13. The staffing levels are not enough in most homes dementia or not. One could have a fall/distress which would take 2 to deal with leaving 1 to 12 . Lunches would have been taken quickly with patients which was apparently our fault/choice as we could leave the floor but that then left it short by 1 person for an hr 30 mins so it was easier just to inhale food and stay. Management are bound by budgets . Whole thing is a disgrace as 1 patient could be hugely demanding . If 2 or more were like that we were barely able to cope with them and the rest would be left sitting. I left as I couldnt do it anymore. Its not the carers its the companies and it doesnt seem to be changing. The hr 30 mins btw is for all 3 breaks not just 1

Hi there.

I work in a care home and we gave an 11 bed dementia until and 2 members of staff. It's hard, hard work. We have to assist some residents as doubles which means we have to leave the rest of the residents unnatended whilst we do this. Mornings are hard as we also have to serve breakfast, feed etc as well as getting everyone up. We have a senior member of staff who does meds etc but they're not on the floor to help as such. Our home is rated Outstanding. There is a massive staffing crisis in care homes although that has always been the staff ratio.

Sorry about the predictive text. Should have read before sending!

We have the same ratio although some agency that have been to other homes say this is so much better than some homes they've worked at.

Where my DM was until her death in Feb the daytime ratio was 1:3 - that was private and at the expensive end (c £10k a month). But my DMIL, who was an MH nurse before retiring, says 1:8 was not uncommon in places with mostly LA funded residents.

Yep it's seriously understaffed, I've worked in similar places with similar staffing (on occasion).

It's scary dangerous because you can't possibly be watching everyone at all times but of course it will be the staff's fault if something awful happens.

I’d definitely phone CQC and the info will get passed through to the inspector. There will be safe staffing levels and this would be looked as part of an inspection

My friend works in a dementia care home.

They are desperately short of staff, despite having put up the hourly rate 3 times in 6 months. And since Covid restrictions have been relaxed, they keep having to send staff home because they test positive for Covid.

There have been a couple of occasions when they have had to operate with well below optimum staffing levels because of staff absence.

My mother had dementia. Luckily she only stayed in the nursing home a couple months before she passed, it was awful. I worry that I’ll get dementia, the thoughts of going into one of those places 😢