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I'm not sure about the legal requirements but if you are talking overnight during the wee hours then yes, that sounds about right to me. Bear in mind that people living in AL are not supposed to need more than minimal assistance, and that at that time almost everyone is asleep. Often we read of facilities that promise they can care for people with higher physical needs and cognitive decline, this is one of the reasons I doubt those promises.
Way back when my grandmother was living in AL, there was only one overnight staff person. And, that person was allowed to sleep on their shift. They'd be awakened by a bell/alarm if a resident needed something. I don't know the head count on residents, but it was a somewhat large facility. One of the people who did this overnight shift was a high school student. No one thought anything of it because those residents who lived there were expected to be (and they expected themselves to be) on their own for the most part. (What I don't know is whether "AL" means the same thing today as it did back then. )
There are different kinds of AL. The one I worked at had a policy that residents had to be mobile and be able to walk independently (a cane or walker was fine, could not be incontinent in a diaper, and no dementia. If a resident got to the point where they were no longer a little forgetful but wandering off they had to go. If they became incontinent or immobile they had to go as well. There's different levels of AL.
I would say that maybe normal. AL means all the residents need is assistance. Residents should be asleep at that time if working a 3 to 7 shift. I know, but in reality thats not what happens. I am assuming here that the next shift coming in is getting them up, dressed and down to breakfast? If you are doing that, then there may not be enough aides.
ALs are inspected by the state just like LTC facilities. Check with the state to see what the ratio of aides is to residents. I would also question if an RN or LPN needs to be on your shift? Is your RN available 24/7? Because as an aide you should not be making any medical decisions for a resident. Ex: sending a resident to the hospital.
It could be legal. I worked at an AL with 52 residents. There was only one overnight worker in the building on the third shift. She got there at 11pm every night and went to bed.
Assisted Living isn't regulated in the same way that Nursing Homes are; in fact there is little regulation at all. So this may be legal. Most hospitals are not even regulated in the numbers of patients that can be assigned to a nurse. I still remember when staffing regulations were passed for us in California under Gov Schwartzenegger.
PS I think your question is of value here because it may prompt those looking to ask about staffing when doing ALF interviews. I think that my brother's ALF was stellar, and one of the reasons was the caring staff, and plenty of it. The whole place was an arrangement of "cottages" around a central grounds. I would say each cottage had 14 to 20 persons as residents. Most were quite able, but some had more memory deficits that others, and there was also a LARGE cottage that was memory care. Each cottage at night had it's own care person. This was not even an overly expensive facility, esp. for our State of California.
At our assisted living we currently have 46 residents in two separate buildings. We have two aides in each building overnight. We have two RN’s in skilled nursing who are available for medical issues. We always get positive comments about our resident/staff ratio.
This OP and the replies remind me that the terms used for different care facilities vary considerably and the services provided vary too within national and international boundaries.
Regulation regarding staffing is also dependent on location. Here AL facilities are regulated. But Covid has shown us that the staffing and service levels in care facilities in Canada is sub par.
Here in BC we have Assisted Living: https://www.islandhealth.ca/learn-about-health/home-care-assisted-living-long-term-care/assisted-living-options
Long Term Care: https://www.islandhealth.ca/learn-about-health/home-care-assisted-living-long-term-care/long-term-care-options
Some facilities have Independent Living (no care provided) and AL in the same building or grounds. Some have AL and Long Term Care (nursing home) in the same facility.
To add to the confusion, here LTC can also be referred to Residential Care, but this is not care provided in the person's residence, but in a care facility.
If the AL has the requirement that residents be able to transfer themselves from a bed or chair to wheelchair or use a walker and can get themselves around in the wheelchair, then yes, this sounds about right. My aunt was in an AL that had one person there at night. There were several residents who wanted someone to come into their rooms and check on them multiple times during the night. My aunt was one of these because she was on oxygen and had many other issues. But she WAS mobile.
What was troubling to me was another relative was in a MC facility and there were 2 people on duty at night and they were given tasks like laundry and other housekeeping duties. There were probably 50 residents and I'd say half of them were UP ALL NIGHT every night. Several would get loud and wander into other residents rooms and wake them, fight, etc! This happened to my aunt. A man kept coming into her room and trying to get into bed with her, thinking she was his wife. She punched him several times.
Perhaps part of the problem at your facility could be that, in order to keep beds full and $ flowing in, sometimes the rules as to what a resident needs to be able to do to live there get bent, putting more work on the employees.
For instance, some people might need to be taken to the bathroom every X hours. Or are ringing for help all night. If it is these type of situations are happening and making it impossible for the # of employees to keep up with the demands, I suggest that you and the other staff members fully document exactly what is happening and then meet with someone in authority (director of nursing?) to fill them in on what is going on.
By proceeding, I agree that I understand the following disclosures:
I. How We Work in Washington.
Based on your preferences, we provide you with information about one or more of our contracted senior living providers ("Participating Communities") and provide your Senior Living Care Information to Participating Communities. The Participating Communities may contact you directly regarding their services.
APFM does not endorse or recommend any provider. It is your sole responsibility to select the appropriate care for yourself or your loved one. We work with both you and the Participating Communities in your search. We do not permit our Advisors to have an ownership interest in Participating Communities.
II. How We Are Paid.
We do not charge you any fee – we are paid by the Participating Communities. Some Participating Communities pay us a percentage of the first month's standard rate for the rent and care services you select. We invoice these fees after the senior moves in.
III. When We Tour.
APFM tours certain Participating Communities in Washington (typically more in metropolitan areas than in rural areas.) During the 12 month period prior to December 31, 2017, we toured 86.2% of Participating Communities with capacity for 20 or more residents.
IV. No Obligation or Commitment.
You have no obligation to use or to continue to use our services. Because you pay no fee to us, you will never need to ask for a refund.
V. Complaints.
Please contact our Family Feedback Line at (866) 584-7340 or ConsumerFeedback@aplaceformom.com to report any complaint. Consumers have many avenues to address a dispute with any referral service company, including the right to file a complaint with the Attorney General's office at: Consumer Protection Division, 800 5th Avenue, Ste. 2000, Seattle, 98104 or 800-551-4636.
VI. No Waiver of Your Rights.
APFM does not (and may not) require or even ask consumers seeking senior housing or care services in Washington State to sign waivers of liability for losses of personal property or injury or to sign waivers of any rights established under law.
I agree that:
A.
I authorize A Place For Mom ("APFM") to collect certain personal and contact detail information, as well as relevant health care information about me or from me about the senior family member or relative I am assisting ("Senior Living Care Information").
B.
APFM may provide information to me electronically. My electronic signature on agreements and documents has the same effect as if I signed them in ink.
C.
APFM may send all communications to me electronically via e-mail or by access to an APFM web site.
D.
If I want a paper copy, I can print a copy of the Disclosures or download the Disclosures for my records.
E.
This E-Sign Acknowledgement and Authorization applies to these Disclosures and all future Disclosures related to APFM's services, unless I revoke my authorization. You may revoke this authorization in writing at any time (except where we have already disclosed information before receiving your revocation.) This authorization will expire after one year.
F.
You consent to APFM's reaching out to you using a phone system than can auto-dial numbers (we miss rotary phones, too!), but this consent is not required to use our service.
Bear in mind that people living in AL are not supposed to need more than minimal assistance, and that at that time almost everyone is asleep. Often we read of facilities that promise they can care for people with higher physical needs and cognitive decline, this is one of the reasons I doubt those promises.
ALs are inspected by the state just like LTC facilities. Check with the state to see what the ratio of aides is to residents. I would also question if an RN or LPN needs to be on your shift? Is your RN available 24/7? Because as an aide you should not be making any medical decisions for a resident. Ex: sending a resident to the hospital.
Regulation regarding staffing is also dependent on location. Here AL facilities are regulated. But Covid has shown us that the staffing and service levels in care facilities in Canada is sub par.
Here in BC we have Assisted Living: https://www.islandhealth.ca/learn-about-health/home-care-assisted-living-long-term-care/assisted-living-options
Long Term Care: https://www.islandhealth.ca/learn-about-health/home-care-assisted-living-long-term-care/long-term-care-options
Some facilities have Independent Living (no care provided) and AL in the same building or grounds. Some have AL and Long Term Care (nursing home) in the same facility.
To add to the confusion, here LTC can also be referred to Residential Care, but this is not care provided in the person's residence, but in a care facility.
What was troubling to me was another relative was in a MC facility and there were 2 people on duty at night and they were given tasks like laundry and other housekeeping duties. There were probably 50 residents and I'd say half of them were UP ALL NIGHT every night. Several would get loud and wander into other residents rooms and wake them, fight, etc! This happened to my aunt. A man kept coming into her room and trying to get into bed with her, thinking she was his wife. She punched him several times.
It was an awful situation.
For instance, some people might need to be taken to the bathroom every X hours. Or are ringing for help all night. If it is these type of situations are happening and making it impossible for the # of employees to keep up with the demands, I suggest that you and the other staff members fully document exactly what is happening and then meet with someone in authority (director of nursing?) to fill them in on what is going on.