HHS considers new requirements for nursing home staff

The Biden administration on Friday proposed new minimum standards for nursing home staffing. The new rules would require nursing homes to provide residents with roughly 2½ hours of care per day and a half hour from registered nurses. Every nursing home would also have to keep a registered nurse on site 24/7. The rules, according to Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra, would improve the lives and safety of nursing home residents.

What do nursing homes say about the rules? LeadingAge CEO Katie Smith Sloan called the proposed standards “meaningless” and expressed disappointment in the Biden administration. “There are simply no people to hire—especially nurses,” Smith said. “The proposed rule requires that nursing homes hire additional staff. But where are they coming from?” The nursing home industry in the United States in recent years has reported a nationwide shortage of workers.

Dig deeper: Read Juliana Chan Erickson’s report in Relations about the staff shortage at nursing homes.