Oklahoma nursing homes facing staffing crisis
SAPULPA, Okla. (KTUL) — It looks lovely on the outside, but the emptiness on the inside of Sapulpa'sRanch Terrace is haunting now that all of its residents have moved out.
"We couldn’t get sufficient staff to care for the residents here," said co-owner Scott Rogers. He's been in the long-term care profession for decades and explains how the nursing home met its end due to having its hands tied with low wages.
"I think we’re currently set at approximately $12 an hour rate with my Medicaid reimbursement and long-term care, and it's just not competitive to get the staff you need," he said.
"A historic workforce shortage," said Steven Buck of Care Providers Oklahoma, a trade association for nursing homes.
"If you think about the way that long-term care is financed, specifically Medicaid, the rate structure in Oklahoma is based on a frontline wage rate of somewhere of $11 to $12 per hour," he said.
At capacity, Ranch Terrace would have had 50 skilled nursing professionals for 85 residents. In the end, they only had 15 full-time employees for 30 residents.
"It takes sufficient funds to be able to pay the staff that you need to operate a nursing facility. And if they can go out at a fast-food joint and make more money doing that, it’s easier, and get more money, then the staffing facility becomes much more difficult," said Rogers.
"It's not like you’re a restaurant and you’re seeing supply chain inflation, you can raise your prices. For long-term care that option doesn’t exist, you’re dependent on that government rate," said Buck.
All of Ranch Terrace's residents were transferred to other facilities or living arrangements, and Rogers is hoping that by speaking up, it will help draw attention to a growing problem.
"It truly is crisis level and we need attention to this situation immediately," he said.