Nursing home residents need good staffing and workers deserve fair pay | Opinion
Ever since high school I wanted to be a nurse. I love what I do as a certified nursing assistant in Richland for the past eight years. I know I’m making a positive difference in the lives and health of the nursing home residents I care for.
At Richland Post Acute, we are caring for residents with high needs, often on a skeleton crew of staff. It’s much better for residents when we can take time with them. No one likes to be rushed. But when we are stretched thin, we have no choice but to practically run to take care of everything - getting vitals, ordering meals, helping residents with showers and bathrooming. Call lights are on all the time. It’s very frustrating for both of us – nursing assistants and the folks we are caring for.
Our work is essential but we aren’t treated that way by the company that owns our facility. All they see is money coming into their management pockets. Meanwhile, they treat us as easily replaceable, hiring young people with no experience, who they can pay bottom dollar for. Too often these staff come with the attitude that the job is just a paycheck. I’ve seen so many come, get trained and leave because they realize it’s such hard work for very low wages. My fellow caregivers and I are struggling to cover our own basic needs - housing, food, our vehicles to get to work, and cover the bills to keep the lights on at home, while executives get paid multi-million dollars.
Richland Post Acute and many other skilled nursing homes in rural areas like ours are owned by a company known as PACs, a $6.7 billion out of state corporation that makes its money off of nursing home residents. They rely on us CNAs to keep residents safe and cared for, but they refuse to treat us with the respect and fair pay we deserve. Our jobs are mentally, physically and emotionally stressful. Residents just want to go home. Their family members are upset about the conditions they see when they visit.
We CNA’s care deeply about our residents’ wellbeing. They are our fellow community members and they deserve consistency in care that high staff turnover makes impossible. In the next few weeks you may see us out on the sidewalks with picket signs explaining what’s at stake. We encourage our fellow community members to support us and learn more about what we are fighting for.
Anadelia Flores is a certified nursing assistant at Richland Post Acute in Richland, WA