Care Aide Staffing and Rushed or Unfinished Care in Long-Term Care Homes

Abstract

Short-staffing and increases in workload demands within long-term care (LTC) homes may result in rushed and unfinished care, which has been consistently linked to adverse outcomes including falls, infections, pressure ulcers, reduced resident satisfaction, and unnecessary hospital admissions. This mixed-methods study combined quantitative survey data from care aides (Wave 1: n  = 198; Wave 2: n  = 249) with qualitative interviews from seven administrators. Multilevel logistic regressions clustered care aides within facilities. Our analysis shows a higher perceived staffing capacity in 2024 compared to 2021. In both years, better staffing was strongly associated with lower odds of reporting rushed or unfinished care tasks. Task prioritization favoured critical elements of care over social aspects. Qualitative interviews confirmed improvements and revealed key structural changes enabling these improvements. Rushed and unfinished care in lower priority domains remains a concern and may function as a latent hazard.