Fatigue, fear and weariness continue to plague nursing home staff, according to a study by the Association of Nursing Home Directors (ADMR) quoted in La Dernière Heure on Wednesday.
The study, conducted among 96 directors of institutions in Wallonia and Brussels, reveals that 95% of institutions now say they are “better prepared to face the crisis” after the first wave of the coronavirus, which was very complicated for nursing homes.
However, staff are still affected by fatigue (38%), fear (22%) and weariness (18%).
While much of it has to do with the pandemic, staff also cite the disappearance (in 57% of cases) of the attending doctors who “sometimes come to carry out a treatment, sometimes have completely disappeared from the landscape,” said Christine Permanne, president of the ADMR and director of the Maison de Châtelet of the Seniorissim Group.
They also highlight media treatment of nursing homes, which is described as “negative articles and reports on nursing homes, rather than information focusing on what is good and positive,” Permanne said.
Many facilities have also been emptying out, causing major financial concerns: 43% of nursing homes (RMs/MRSs) have seen a decrease of between 5% and 49% in accommodation requests, and 34% have seen a large decrease (over 50%).
“Some facilities are at 70% occupancy,” said Permanne, which is financially untenable.
The Brussels Times
