Since the beginning of the year we’ve been talking about the Biden administration’s proposed nursing home reforms. Among these reforms is the proposal for an across-the-board staffing standard for all nursing homes. As the months have gone by, there have been multiple ways to support the effort, and we’ve been huge advocates for this much needed change. Recently, however, there is a new way to show your support.
Why Staffing Standards
The nursing home industry has always had staffing issues. Taking care of the elderly with a variety of schedules, needs, and medical concerns, is not an easy job. And it’s a job made harder by high turnover (roughly 52%) which means constant re-training, low salaries, and an often rough working environment. As a result, nursing homes are often left with fewer employees than needed which directly results in poor care for residents.
Nursing homes without the proper staff receive lower ratings, and have higher rates of neglect, abuse, employee burnout, and employee turnover. All of this directly harms residents and creates low quality, untenable living conditions.
What Would Staffing Standards Look Like?
A CMS study in 2001 found that residents require 4.1 hours per day of skilled nursing care. Only a third of nursing homes currently meet that requirement. As mentioned in a previous article, to meet the 4.1 hour per day standard for all patients, the nursing home industry would see an influx of 187,000 new nurses.
This is a huge increase for an industry already struggling with staffing issues. Clearly, the whole system—from hiring, to care, to employee benefits and salary, to insurance and funding—needs to be reevaluated for the sake and safety of residents across the country.
Make Your Voice Heard
To voice your opinion and let lawmakers know this is an issue they must pay attention to, send a message through The Consumer Voice for Quality Long-Term Care’s pre-written form. This message is crafted to directly address those who will be able to make changes at a national, federal level. It also offers some evidence and facts to back up the request and add urgency to the issue. We’re more than halfway through 2023, and we have successfully raised awareness of the staffing standard issue. Use this opportunity to support staffing standards in a powerful way.
If you or a loved one have been the victim of nursing home neglect or abuse, call Gharibian Law (877-460-1187) today for a FREE consultation and the best legal representation.
