Improving Quality of Life for Older People in Long-Stay Care ...

The differences between public geriatric hospitals/homes, welfare homes anddistrict hospitals, for both large and small facilities, were not significant whentested using category by size interaction effects. However, significant differencesemerged in respect of nursing/non-nursing staffing ratios between public facilitiesand voluntary and private nursing homes. Public facilities tend to have higher ratiosof registered nurses to non-nursing care staff, with the pattern reversed in voluntaryand private homes.Table 6.3: Ratio of registered nurses (RNs) to non-nursing care staffand (all) residents by facility type and size40 residents>40 residentsN RNs NonnursingcarestaffResidentsN RNs NonnursingcarestaffResidentsAll facilities 196 1 1.6 3.9 108 1 1.2 3.4120PrivatenursinghomesPublichomes/hospitalsVoluntaryhomes/hospitalsDistrict/communityhospitalsWelfarehomes142 1 2.0 4.7 53 1 2.7 6.513 1 0.8 2.0 24 1 0.8 2.514 1 1.9 3.7 15 1 1.8 4.515 1 0.7 2.1 14 1 0.7 2.212 1 1.3 4.4 2 1 1.0 2.8With regard to staffing ratios of registered nurses to residents, there is significantvariation at the 5 per cent level across the various facility types in both small andlarge institutions (Table 6.3). Overall, staffing ratios are 1:3.9 in facilities with fortybeds or less and 1:3.4 in facilities with more than forty beds. In public geriatrichospitals/homes, the average ratio of registered nurses to residents lies between1:2.0 and 1:2.5 depending on size. A similar ratio exists in district/community hospitalswith the range between 1:2.1 and 1:2.2. In welfare homes, where the trend is forthe resident population to be less dependent, the ratio is 1:4.4 for homes with fortyresidents or less and 1:2.8 for homes with more than forty residents.Improving Quality of Life for Older People in Long-Stay Care Settings in Ireland