CHAA care homes have a long history of always striving to staff our care homes at or above regulated staffing requirements. Operators must always strike a balance between the level of clinical expertise available during a shift (such as registered nurses) and the number of direct-care hands (LPNs, HCAs) at the point of care. Our goal is to have as many staff as possible providing direct care — which creates comfort and confidence among residents while also fostering excellence and camaraderie across the care team as they appreciate a manageable workload.

Our operators have been a strong advocate for increasing the amount of funded care time. Why? Because so many of today’s residents have cognitive challenges such as dementia, leaving many feeling confused, anxious or fearful. Offering a few extra moments of care and compassion can make a world of difference.

What about residents with dementia, who need more time for all aspects of daily living? Who may wake up agitated or confused? Who may benefit from additional time spent on calming activities, such as listening to music or having their hair brushed? Who may refuse to get dressed or go to a dining area? Or who may be too distracted to stay focused on eating a meal?

Residents with various forms of dementia often need dedicated companion-type care throughout most of their waking hours to provide redirection, calming, refocusing, or cueing supports. It’s essential that front-line care staff have enough extra ‘room’ in their resident accountabilities to spontaneously support an individual who needs extra supports at any given moment.

Being unrushed also means care staff can sit with a resident for a longer conversation, water plants in the courtyard garden, or play a favorite tune together on the care home piano.