nursing homes

The president wants to set minimum staffing levels for the beleaguered nursing home industry. But, given a lack of transparency surrounding industry’s finances, it’s a mystery how facilities will shoulder the costs.

The House Health & Human Services Committee approved the proposal, which came as nursing homes say they are grappling with staffing shortages that, in some cases, have forced them to leave beds unused.

Hundreds of thousands of nursing home workers have quit since the pandemic began, and the ones still working suffer from burnout. Industry leaders worry the system is fracturing.

Lawmakers are considering proposals to provide families more access to their loved ones in hospitals and long-term care facilities. They want to address isolation patients endured as a result of restrictions implemented to prevent the spread of COVID.

The House Health Care Appropriations Subcommittee approved an industry-backed bill that would reduce from 2.5 hours to 2 hours the minimum direct care that CNAs must provide per resident per day.

The bill, which would extend protection for hospitals, nursing homes and other providers through June 1, 2023, now heads to Gov. Ron DeSantis for signing.

The amended version of the bill reduces -- but does not eliminate -- the care that residents must get from certified nursing assistants. Those nursing hours would drop from 2½ to 2 hours a day.

The House Finance & Facilities Subcommittee approved a bill that supporters say would provide more flexibility to facilities in meeting the changing needs of residents.

As omicron surges, more nursing homes are facing a double whammy: Lab tests are taking too long, and fast antigen tests are in short supply.

In a sign of how desperate some states are for health care workers during the pandemic, New York has begun teaching EMT skills to National Guard members.