Posts tagged with "Cars of Covid"

Nursing Home Staff Shortages

Amidst the perseverance of the COVID-19 pandemic, the healthcare industry has taken a massive blow. There are intense staffing shortages in the field, and the public is suffering from these scarcities. The Washington Post gave a detailed report on these worsening staff deficiencies, more specifically in long term care facilities.

Nursing homes tend to lessen the stress on hospitals as recovered patients typically move there after being released. Without proper staffing, though, facilities have not been able to take in patients from hospitals. A specific example of this misfortune stems from the Terrace View nursing home in Buffalo, New York. The home is currently not running at full capacity, and there are up to 22 beds not being used due to lack of staff.

The Washington Post article elaborates on this disaster, highlighting another facility affected. “That means some fully recovered patients in the adjacent Erie County Medical Center must stay in their hospital rooms, waiting for a bed in the nursing home. Which means some patients in the emergency department, who should be admitted to the hospital, must stay there until a hospital bed opens up. The emergency department becomes stretched so thin that 10 to 20 percent of arrivals leave without seeing a caregiver — after an average wait of six to eight hours, according to the hospital’s data.”

Many long-term care facilities across the country are facing these same troubles. The American Health Care Association and National Center for Assisted Living (AHCA/NCAL) found 58% of nursing homes are cutting down on arrivals, again, because of the shortage of staff members.

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) found that 425,000 long term care workers left the industry since February 2020. Though other industries have seen economic growth since the onset of the pandemic, nursing homes have not had the same luck. “Remarkably, despite the horrific incidents of death and illness in nursing homes at the outset of the pandemic, more staff departures have come during the economic recovery. As restaurants and shops reopened and hiring set records, nursing homes continued to bleed workers, even as residents returned.”

These troubles are heightened in more rural areas. The article, too, depicts the story of Diakonos Group in Medford, Oklahoma, that had to shut down since there was simply not enough staff. The facility provided care for patients with mental health needs, but after the pandemic started, they found that their staff had endured too much. Diakonos Group CEO Scott Pilgrim explained that although the business offered a raise in hourly wages, bonuses and overtime, employees continued to leave, and they could not withstand these absences.

AHCA/NCAL urges lawmakers to work with the long term care division of healthcare to fix this staffing crisis and devote resources to employ caregivers. As hospitals continue to be directly affected by this catastrophe, change must be made as soon as possible. AHCA/NCAL encourages Congress to take action and ease these tensions placed on both hospitals and long term care facilities.

Consumer Reports – Cars of COVID

By Katrina Tiktinsky

The COVID-19 period might seem like an odd moment to go car shopping, but dealerships are offering extensive safety measures and incredible discounts that are hard to turn down. Knowing how to shop responsibly for your body and your budget is undeniably important, given the current state of the world. Consumer Reports has stepped in to offer advice when it comes to these purchases and purchasing methods. With two new articles on lower-cost vehicle reliability and safety-conscious car purchasing decisions, CR uses its expertise to guide drivers toward wise strategies.

“Most Reliable New Cars and SUVs That Won’t Sink Your Budget” reviews a number of high-scoring vehicle models below a $30,000 price cap. Documenting vehicle performance, reliability (owner satisfaction), and several safety technologies, Consumer Reports paints a complete image of each car’s pros and cons, successes and drawbacks. This guidance helps protect consumers against cars that make for cheap purchases but require costly maintenance. Instead, the more highly-reviewed cars in this report are documented as investments that begin and remain reasonably affordable.

“Is Now the Right Time to Buy a Car?” considers the innovative decisions dealerships and car companies are making to remain attractive to buyers in the midst of the pandemic. The article further advises consumers on how to react in the face of these new offerings, and, accordingly, how to shop safely. Consumer Reports urges the value of researching and exploring cars online before looking at vehicles in person. The article also places value in local dealerships, especially those that offer safety measures such as contactless payment, home delivery, or buy-at-home options. Consumer Reports advises how to get the best bang for your buck, considers the potential of used cars, and reminds consumers how to make sure their purchases age gracefully.

In combination, these two articles further the Consumer Reports goal of providing tools for thoughtful spending. If you are considering buying a car, especially in the midst of the pandemic, this well-researched and personable website will help you do so with comfort and confidence.

For more information, view the following links:

Consumer Reports Website | “Most Reliable New Cars and SUVs That Won’t Sink Your Budget” | “Is Now the Right Time to Buy a Car?”