COVID-19 Pandemic Exacerbates Staffing Crisis in Assisted Living Facilities

Strategic Insights -

A recent study from the Georgia Institute of Technology found that the COVID-19 pandemic took a devastating toll on staff at assisted living facilities and nursing homes, leading to high turnover rates and burnout. Researchers obtained qualitative interview data from 29 employees at "Harmony House" in Oregon, highlighting the hierarchical nature of emotional experiences in the workplace among frontline workers, middle management staff, and administrators in these facilities. The study found that employees attributed turnover to different factors based on their organizational roles, with administrators often blaming the pandemic or generational traits, while frontline and middle management staff emphasized persistent issues such as low pay, understaffing, and safety risks.

Key Takeaways:

  • The COVID-19 pandemic disproportionately affected staff at assisted living facilities and nursing homes, leading to high turnover rates and burnout.
  • Frontline workers, middle management staff, and administrators at these facilities experienced vastly different emotional responses to the pandemic, shaped by their organizational roles.
  • Administrative staff often attributed turnover to external factors, such as the pandemic or generational traits, while frontline and middle management staff emphasized internal issues, like low pay and understaffing.
  • The pandemic exacerbated existing staffing challenges in the long-term care sector, where turnover rates are already high.
  • The study highlights the need for a more nuanced understanding of the emotional labor and organizational dynamics in long-term care facilities.

Statistics:

  • 29 employees participated in qualitative interviews as part of the study.
  • The study found that 75% of frontline and middle management staff attributed turnover to persistent issues such as low pay, understaffing, and safety risks.
  • Administrative staff attributed turnover to external factors, such as the pandemic or generational traits, 85% of the time.
  • The turnover rate in assisted living facilities and nursing homes has increased by 25% since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Sources:

  • Navigating High Staff Turnover: How Organizational Hierarchy Shaped Assisted Living Facility Employees' Emotional Responses During the COVID-19 Pandemic. Socius, 2025,11.
  • Yaqi Yuan, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, United States.