Many things could potentially put a nursing home resident at a greater risk of experiencing negligent care. One is if the facility he or she is staying at is understaffed. Understaffing could lead to important aspects of resident care being missed or not being given sufficient attention. It also could lead to the staff that are present feeling overworked and stressed, which could make them more prone to mistakes.

A recent analysis suggests that many Georgia nursing homes may be facing a staffing shortage when it comes to registered nurses. RNs serve many important roles at nursing homes, including supervising other staff.

The analysis looked at Medicare data covering the January 2018 to March 2018 period to rate RN staffing levels at nursing homes. The five ratings that were given were: much above average, above average, average, below average and much below average.

Among the nursing homes the analysis looked at were 346 facilities from Georgia. Of these Georgia nursing homes, nearly half (47 percent) were rated below average or much below average in regard to RN staffing.

Now, some contest how accurately the data used in the analysis reflects actual staffing levels. Some argue that it underreports these levels.

How do you think Georgia nursing homes are doing when it comes to RN staffing and staffing generally? How do you think such facilities are doing in overall care quality?

When understaffing or other factors lead to mishaps at nursing homes, residents can get harmed. Skilled attorneys can help families of victims of nursing home negligence understand what options would be available for pursuing compensation and justice in relation to what happened to their loved one.