Nursing homes and other long-term care facilities are still struggling years after the COVID-19 pandemic with staffing levels. While the CMS has proposed a staffing mandate as of September of 2023, facilities are struggling to meet staffing requirements. A survey recently shared that over 70% of nursing homes are experiencing staffing levels lower than before the pandemic and 99% are actively hiring.
Mark Parkinson, president and CEO of AHCA shared that the “… updated State of the Sector Report demonstrates clearly what nursing home providers across the country already know: The ongoing labor shortage is nothing less than a crisis for our sector … Nursing homes want to strengthen their workforce, but they cannot do it alone. We need collaborative solutions, not one-size-fits-all mandates, to protect access to care for all seniors.”
Long-term care is implementing various tactics in an attempt to increase interest in open positions. Some providers have tried raising wages, offering bonuses, and even paying for employee’s education.
Melissa Brown, chief operating officer at Gravity Healthcare Consulting shared that almost half of nursing homes are limiting admissions and approximately 20% have closed a unit of their facility.
While some people in the long-term care sector disagree with CMS’s staffing mandate, we must consider the quality of care for residents. When staffing levels are not met in facilities, the quality of care for our loved ones suffers.
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Source
Henreckson, Josh. “Scary ‘State’: Two-Thirds of Nursing Home Operators Fear Closure Without Staffing Relief.” McKnight’s Long-Term Care News, 5 Mar. 2024, www.mcknights.com/news/scary-state-two-thirds-of-nursing-home-operators-fear-closure-without-staffing-relief/.
