OHIO — Gov. Mike DeWine launched a Nursing Home Quality and Accountability Task Force this year to address issues facing the more than 960 nursing homes across the state.
He’s talked with nursing home administrators, residents and their families about what can be done to improve conditions.
Nursing home workers in union SEIU 1199 have expressed disappointment that the task force has failed to take their voice into account.
Brenda Moore has worked in nursing homes for a long time.
“I don’t wanna tell my age, but since 1976,” she said.
Moore said it’s hard work, and the poor working conditions aren’t making things better.
She said she and her coworkers are getting fed up of understaffing, low pay and a lack of resources.
“We gotta get respected, you know?" Moore said. "And we don’t get respect. A lot of people feel like working in this field is not worth it.”
According to data from the AARP, Ohio’s nursing home staffing shortages remain above the national level.
Moore said staffing hasn’t been as big of a frustration for her as the lack of fair pay.
She said she’s been a loyal employee at the current nursing home she works at for more than 15 years and still makes only about $15 an hour.
She said her nursing home is offering higher wages to new employees, and she’s angry.
“It’s like a slap in the face," Moore said.
According to the centers for Medicare and Medicaid services, Ohio ranks 39th in the country in quality of nursing home care.
Earlier this year, DeWine created a task force seeking input from nursing home residents and administrators on how to make improvements.
Executive Vice President of health care worker union SEIU 1199 in Ohio, Samara Knight, said she feels nursing home workers haven't been prioritized.
“I feel like our members are left out the conversation," Knight said. "He should be talking to workers instead of nursing home owners."
In the state of Ohio, nursing homes are legally required to hire enough direct care staff to tend to each resident for 2.5 hours a day.
Knight said the union wants state legislators to pass stronger staffing ratios not only to help workers, but also to improve quality of care.
“Why do you have to fight for staffing ratios to give continuity of care, quality of care?" Knight said. "That should be a given."
A spokesperson from Governor DeWine's office said the point of task force was not to address staffing issues but nursing home quality.
The task force's recommendations, which focused on allocating money to nursing homes who are already providing quality care, were implemented in the budget that passed earlier this month.
The spokesperson said they will not reward bad operators just to address staffing concerns.
Spectrum News 1 reached out to the Ohio Nursing Home Association for an interview, and but it hasn't replied at the time of this article publishing.