Foulkeways’ Featured in June 2022 HealthLeaders Article

Foulkeways featured in the June 2022 HealthLeaders issue article “After 55 Years, Foulkeways Persists Through COVID and Industry Staff Shortages”

The June 2022 issue of HealthLeader’s article talks about Foulkeways at Gwynedd’s financial incentives and the staff’s commitment to residents that have helped the community continue to thrive.

Key takeaways from the article:

• Long-term care facilities like Foulkeways aren’t the first choice for nurses which makes recruiting difficult.
• According to Knapp, many CNAs struggled with the long hours, having to carry out tasks while wearing heavy personal protective equipment, in addition to the risk of getting infected.
• While employees saw salary increases and bonuses during the pandemic, their commitment to residents also played a part in their decision to stay.

While the healthcare industry struggled with a shortage of workers that persisted through the pandemic, nursing homes, and long-term care facilities were hit the hardest.

“In healthcare when you’re talking about the licensed staff—RNs in particular—long-term care has never been the preferred site for care for nurses,” Mary Knapp, director of health services for Foulkeways at Gwynedd, told HealthLeaders.

Foulkeways has offered continuing care for more than five decades, with a licensed nursing facility and pharmacy, assisted living capabilities, Medicare-certified hospice agency, and outpatient rehabilitation center included on its campus.

The community has affiliated physicians that come on-site occasionally but has its own staff of certified nurse practitioners (CNAs), licensed practical nurses (LPNs), RNs, and nursing assistants that provide primary care to residents.

Now in its 55th year of operation, Foulkeways has never used an outside nursing agency to supplement its staff, which already sees a minimal amount of turnover, Knapp said.

“We have staff who are CNAs that retire at age 70 from Foulkeways,” she said. “However, with COVID, we experienced a lot of staff retiring because we had a lot of nurses and LPNs who were working past age 65. Because of the positive work environment and very little turnover they continued to work, but COVID puts a strain on people.”

Click here to read the full article.