Effective staffing ratio in the CBRF
All of us in the “industry” understand the difficulty we face with appropriately staffing our facilities. These care positions are tough and consuming for people (especially during the time of writing this article; see COVID-19) and can leave many burnt out. But it is also an incredibly rewarding experience for employees to share their compassion for others and provide care to seniors! The state of Wisconsin mandates the following regulation as to the staffing ratio and requirements of said staff for all assisted living facilities:
DHS 83.36 Staffing requirements.
(1) Adequate staffing.
(a) The CBRF shall provide employees in sufficient numbers on a 24-hour basis to meet the needs of the residents.
(b) The CBRF shall ensure all of the following:
- An administrator or other designated qualified resident care staff in charge is on the premises of the CBRF daily to ensure the CBRF is providing safe and adequate care, treatment and services.
- At least one qualified resident care staff is present in the CBRF when one or more residents are present in the CBRF.
- At least one qualified resident care staffis on duty and awake if at least one resident in the CBRF is in need of supervision, intervention or services on a 24-hour basis to prevent, control or improve the resident’s constant or intermittent mental or physical condition that may occur or may become critical at any time including residents who are at risk of elopement, who have dementia, who are self-abusive, who become agitated or emotionally upset or who have changing or unstable health conditions that require close monitoring.
- At least one qualified resident care staffis on duty and awake if the evacuation capability of at least one resident is 4 minutes or more.
(c) When all of the residents are away from the CBRF, at least one qualified resident care staff shall be on call to provide coverage if a resident needs to return to the CBRF before the regularly scheduled return time. The CBRF shall provide each resident or the off-site location a means of contacting the resident care staff who is on call.
(2) Staffing schedule. The CBRF shall maintain a current written schedule for staffing the CBRF. The schedule shall include each employee’s full name, job assignment and time worked.
Pro Tip:
The staffing ratio in your facility is directly related to the services that are needed by your residents. There is no magic number of staff you need to have on shift at any given time. Your team must be able to meet the hourly needs of all residents while abiding by the state regulation