The average employee of a nursing home in Missouri lasts three months. The state division of aging estimates 50,000 to 60,000 people work in nursing homes in Missouri. And turnover is a major problem. Division of Aging Director Dick Dunn says it’s a frustrating, difficult job requiring special people to deal with those difficulties and work the long hours that care requires. Dunn says competition for available manpower is high in this low-unemployment era, making it easier for people who wear out or burn out working in nursing homes. He says that’s why 5,000 people a month leave their jobs caring for the elderly and why nursing homes seem constantly to be looking for qualified caregivers.
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