Good news and bad news for longterm care

North Dakota Nursing Homes are getting good marks... A national survey of longterm care resident...  More »

North Dakota Nursing Homes are getting good marks... A national survey of longterm care residents, family members, and employees shows North Dakota's facilities rank highest in satisfaction. Of the two-thousand long-term care facility employees that responded, 71-percent rated overall satisfaction as excellent or good...making North Dakota number one in the nation for employee satisfaction. 91-percent of residents receiving care indicated overall satisfaction as excellent or good. And 93-percent of families of residents indicated overall satisfaction as excellent or good. However, many facilities in the state today are less than fully staffed. In fact, some have stopped taking in patients because of a short staff... (Shelly Peterson, ND Long Term Care Association) If this trend continues, it means there'll be no room at the Inn when my parents, and your parents, and our grandparents may need care. Long term care facilities also have an aging workforce. Peterson says in the next five years, 25 percent of the ten-thosuand people working in long term care in North Dakota will be at or over retirement. She says almost two out of five employees right now or 39-percent are over the age of 50.  « Less