The quality of care for nursing home residents is being undermined by a staffing crisis, which is directly resulting in them being left unattended for extended periods and missing care interventions, according to an extensive survey of staff in the sector published by SIPTU.
The warning from the frontline staff is contained in the SIPTU Nursing Home Workers Survey 2026, a report based on the views of over 700 nursing home staff in both the public and private sector facilities. Key findings in relation to care include:
- 54% state staffing shortages are ‘significantly’ affecting quality
- 43% state their nursing home is ‘rarely’ or ‘never’ adequately staffed
- Care tasks are regularly (30%) or sometimes (56%) skipped due to time pressure or short staffing
SIPTU Sector Organiser, Liz Cloherty, said: “The findings of the report serve as an urgent warning to employers and the Government on the worsening crisis within the private nursing home sector, which is threatening the care of our elderly citizens.”
The report reveals a direct link between poor working conditions and the erosion of care standards. “The conclusions are clear: it is not possible to maintain high standards of care with a workforce that is burnt-out, underpaid and actively looking to leave,” Cloherty said.
The survey found that 49% of private nursing home Health Care Assistants are actively looking for work in another sector, with low pay cited as the biggest push factor (78%), followed by stress and burnout (71%).
Over 90% of respondents said they were being forced to compromise on care due to understaffing, while 83% said they didn’t have “enough time” to provide residents with the care they need. The survey also found that at least 54% of nursing home staff believed staffing shortages were significantly affecting the quality of care residents received. Just under half of respondents stated they only sometimes had all the necessary equipment or supplies to carry out their work.
SIPTU’s Head of Strategic Organising, Darragh O’Connor, said: “Chronic understaffing is the result of the state’s refusal to value care work, undermining care for elderly residents in Ireland’s nursing homes. We urge the Government to act now and introduce a clear mechanism to improve pay and conditions for healthcare workers in the private sector.”
Health Care Assistant and SIPTU Activist, Martha Buckley, said: “I see firsthand that our work is the heartbeat of the nursing home; we don’t just provide clinical support, we provide the companionship, reassurance and dignity that turn a place of care into a true home for residents. Our roles can involve intense physical and emotional labour, yet the true ‘hard work’ often goes unseen.”