Tera Finley MPP Essay Defense
Friday, June 9th, at 1:00pm in Bexell 320. Contact [email protected] for the Zoom link
Determining the Superior Staffing Method in Assisted Living Facilities: Ratios versus Acuity-Base Staffing
Abstract: There are not uniform policies regulating assisted living facilities in the United States and this has led to debates on the best way to ensure adequate staffing in facilities. The two primary approaches to regulating staffing are required ratios or acuity-based staffing. The purpose of this study is to assess which approach to staffing best ensures adequate staffing levels as measured by the number of and type of violations a facility receives in a year. A regression analysis was conducted and found statistically significant relationships between staffing approach and each type of facility violation. The presence of a required staffing ratio significantly reduced the expected count of abuse violations. Analyses of specific types of abuse show that neglect comprises 80% of all abuse violations, with the presence of required staffing ratio significantly decreasing the expected counts of neglect violations. These findings support the argument that a required staff-to-resident staffing ratio is the superior staffing method for assisted living facilities compared to acuity-based staffing.
Committee Members: Dr. Sally Gallagher (chair), Dr. Mark Edwards, Dr. Patrick Emerson