In Mississippi Veterans Affairs long-term care facilities, only one resident has died from the coronavirus in the last year according to Executive Director Stacey Pickering. This is a stark difference from the beginning of the pandemic when half of all deaths were among long-term care residents. But Pickering says facilities across the state are now struggling to maintain staff and are hiring temporary workers to care for patients.
“Finding the revenue streams to even compete at some level to stabilize our workforce, that’s one of the most difficult issues. And again it doesn’t matter if you’re a hospital or a nursing home. The nursing shortage nationwide is one of our biggest struggles, biggest friction points on a day-to-day basis.”
Pickering says at one facility in Collins, only around 20% of workers are employed full time, and some temp agencies charge as much as $85 per hour for coronavirus care.
Pickering shared his staffing concerns during a House Appropriations Committee hearing. Republican Representative Karl Oliver of Winona says these temporary workers are helping to bridge the labor gap when caring for the state’s veterans.
“And it seems to me that the temp services are working well, but they are costing us,” says Oliver. “I don’t think they’re costing us anymore than what we would have to be paying someone just in the private sector who chose to come in and work for our state and work for these nursing homes. But we’re trying to keep those salaries on the level playing field too.”
Some facilities, such as the Veterans Affairs home in Kosciusko, are faring better with staffing shortages with nearly 80% of employees working full time.
