KFF May 16, 2022
Key Takeaways
While staffing shortages in nursing homes have existed for decades, the COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted and intensified the need for sufficient, consistent, trained staff to care for residents. Numerous studies have found that high staffing levels are associated with higher care quality. Yet, a recent report concluded that “staffing standards in almost every state remain severely low.” In April 2022, the National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine recommended minimum staffing levels, policies to ensure competitive wages and benefits, and improvements to staff training and opportunities for career advancement, among other reforms, as part of its comprehensive report to improve nursing home quality. The Biden Administration has announced plans to propose new federal minimum staffing adequacy regulations in...