I work at a small assisted living facility that specializes in memory care, and after 5 years I am finally leaving. I’m genuinely concerned for the residents here because everyone is getting fed up with the amount of work that has to be done relative to the hourly wage.
I’m not a nurse, but I’m going to school at the moment to get my BSN. I get paid $13.00 an hour (which is considered GOOD in some homes) to take care of 6 people who require complete assistance and monitoring 24/7. I have to pass meds, prep dinner, feed them, do the dishes, take them to the bathroom/change them, wash them up for bed, change them every 2 hours once they’re in bed + rotate, deal with the family members visiting, and 1/2 the time they residents are slapping the shit out of me or getting pissed while I’m doing it.
For $13.00 an hour. What a fucking joke. I can go work at Taco Bell or McDonald’s and make more money for less work. Not to mention the staffing shortages mean that I’m consistently working 16 hour shifts each week, or working a 16 hour shift followed by a morning shift the next day, or just random hours. The amount of stress and anxiety that this job has caused me is not worth the pay, and I’ll be done April 15th.