Elderly Lives Matter®

Will the new administration affect staffing mandates?

On Behalf of | Jan 21, 2025 | Assisted Living Facility Abuse and Neglect

A nationwide nursing shortage and a federally mandated staffing level are leaving nursing homes in a difficult situation, and Florida’s 698 licensed nursing homes are no exception. This problem is expected to worsen as the state’s population of 65 and older continues to increase.

Some Florida nursing home administrators may believe that if you ignore a problem long enough, eventually it may go away. According to the New York Times, some lawmakers, lobbyists, and others from the nursing home industry hope the new Trump administration will grant their wishes and rescind staffing mandates.

Why do nursing homes need staffing mandates?

Patient advocates state that adequate staffing is crucial for:

  • Resident safety
  • Fewer ER visits
  • Quality of care
  • Preventing burnout among staff

The Biden Administration agreed and stated that nursing homes that receive Medicare and Medicaid funding would need to implement the following regulations within the next couple of years:

  • An average of 3.48 hours of daily care per resident, with 0.55 hours coming from an RN
  • An RN on duty 24 hours a day
  • Develop a staffing plan for recruitment and retention

Furthermore, the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) will collect data from each nursing home on the amount of tax-payer funds spent on the compensation of direct care staff and support workers. CMS is estimating this initiative will cost $6 billion. However, there are no plans in place to increase funding to nursing homes to offset the expense.

Considering the previous President Trump Administration signed laws emphasizing patient care over regulations and scaling back nursing home fines for cited poor care, there’s hope that he will do the same with the staffing level mandates.

If Florida nursing homes don’t require around-the-clock RNs or minimum levels of direct care staffing, it could cause direct harm to the state’s most vulnerable population. Family members will need to closely monitor their loved ones to ensure they are receiving proper care and not being neglected.

The federal government may not hold nursing homes responsible for providing quality care. However, you may still be able to.

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