The virus severely inflamed her lungs, landing her in the hospital with bilateral pneumonia.
I didnt think I was going to get through it, she says.
Her workplace, meanwhile, kept calling.
When was she coming back?
It was April 2020, when the virus was spreading and more workers were out sick.
More residents were dying.
After six weeks off, Abbeyquaye, 48, returned to help combat the chaos.
But I never was the same again, she says.
I was completely exhausted,burnt outand just down.
I couldnt take it.
She handed in her letter of resignation without another job lined up.
I didnt know what the future was.
Thats roughly 15 percent of the nursing home workforce, gone.
The figure far outpaces the numbers lost in other health care sectors, which have also seen steep drops.
And its not because demand for workers has decreased.
In Alaska, Minnesota and Washington, over 70 percent of facilities reported staffing shortages.
Those issues were intensified by the pandemic, but theyre long-standing and deep-seated across the industry.
The foundations were so weak, Abbeyquaye says.
COVID was just the last straw.
Some workers have shifted to other health care roles in hospitals or private homes.
Many have become travel nurses, who typically work temporary assignments in various short-staffed facilities for higher pay.
Others have left for higher wages at places likeAmazonandMcDonald’s.
Some had to take on caregiving responsibilities at home or have opted for early retirement.
Many immigrant workers have returned to their home countries.
And many, like Abbeyquaye, just quit.
With the pandemic, we have a crisis on top of a crisis.
Someone has called the current situation a staffing apocalypse.
Living beyond paycheck to paycheck
U.S. nursing homes were difficult places to work even before COVID-19.
Many are hired as independent contractors or part-time employees and dont qualify for paid time off or health insurance.
A disproportionate number are female, Black and immigrants.
Decades of chronic understaffing has meant unpredictable schedules, regular overtime and little support for training and professional development.
