About 80% of nursing home workers think the federal government isn’t doing enough to ensure they have enough free testing, personal protective equipment and paid sicks days during the coronavirus pandemic, new findings from an SEIU national survey reveal.
About 76% of workers added that they don’t think operators are doing enough to ensure employees have the necessary equipment, testing access and other protections.
“What we’re seeing right now in nursing homes battling COVID-19 is hell on earth,” Julie Moore, a Pennsylvania CNA said. “In my 20 years as a certified nursing assistant, I’ve never seen anything like this pandemic.”
The survey, which was conducted using a sample of more than 2,390 nursing home workers across the United States, also found that 78% of workers believe their lives are at risk every day by going to work, while 46% said they still lack sufficient PPE. Just 51% believe their residents are adequately protected against outbreaks in their facilities.
“Decision-makers have failed to protect workers and our residents from the worst of this pandemic,” Pearl Gooden, a Florida-based nursing home worker said. “From the start, nursing homes were left behind. To this day, we don’t have nearly enough PPE.”
Providers are providing effective training on how to protect workers and residents from the spread of COVID-19, according to 69% of employees. Additionally, 54% said their employers provide clear communication regarding suspected cases of COVID-19 to all workers and employees.
SEIU International President Mary Kay Henry said that nursing home workers deserve a seat at the table with employers and the government to help ensure their safety during the pandemic.
“It’s heartbreaking and infuriating that nursing home workers fear for their lives as they work tirelessly to care for seniors, people with disabilities and veterans,” Henry said. “Essential workers should be treated as essential — with PPE, paid leave and pandemic pay. These workers have been fighting to improve care in nursing homes long before COVID-19.”
