Unsafe Staffing Kills

The Iowa Capital Dispatch reported major issues at Johnson’s Bishop Drumm Retirement Center. So far one resident has died, and another was hospitalized. Staff need more help. Employees complain that the facility has unsafe and insufficient staff that cannot meet the residents’ safety needs. 

A licensed practical nurse who works for Bishop Drumm allegedly told inspectors that “only one nurse with three certified nurse assistants” existed in the one unit where many residents required regular treatments and assistance.

Another nurse allegedly reported that staff members were not getting residents out of bed “because they don’t have time and they don’t have enough help,” which led to many residents with pressure injuries or bed sores from not being repositioned. An RN for Bishop Drumm also complained because there was only one nurse on duty for 30 residents, and that was “a lot.” The staff could not move residents from their beds or provide the assistance they needed. Another RN allegedly told reporters that residents were developing sores as a result of the staff not having enough time or members to reposition or change their dressing. 

According to inspectors reports, one resident was found unresponsive in her bed on May 8 with a significant bed sore and blisters on her back. The resident was immediately rushed to a local hospital, where she passed away the next day.

On June 14, a resident had untreated sores and was admitted to the hospital with septic shock and respiratory failure. On the same resident, inspectors also noticed a blister on one foot’s entire heel, filled with black liquid and dead tissue. 

During inspections, state inspectors questioned the home administrator on what Bishop Drumm had done to address the multiple violations from the past, which included a February 2024 citation for failure to prevent pressure injuries and a citation from June and October 2023 for insufficient staff. During the questioning, the administrator said that he had only been in the job for four months, and was unable to speak on previous actions from the citations. Based on the most recent inspection of Bishop Drumm, due to the citation of failing to provide residents with required services, the state tripled the initial $10,000 fine. The penalty is being held under suspension by the state. Therefore, the state fine will not be paid, but the federal government may eventually impose fines for similar violations. 

Staffing levels for nursing homes have been one of the main factors that determine whether or not a nursing home is able to properly care for a resident. The Biden Administration has proposed a set of minimum staffing levels to ensure that nursing homes that collect taxpayer money will provide the highest level of care.

Industry lobbyists, like the American Health Care Association and Leading Age, opine that safe staffing levels can not be met due to nursing shortages and insufficient funding. Total bullshit.