In 1987, after multiple reports, articles, and studies described inadequate conditions in nursing homes, Congress passed the Nursing Home Reform Act. The comprehensive law raised the standard of care for residents of nursing homes across the country and strengthened survey and enforcement practices. Understanding what the Act requires and advocating for full implementation of its provisions for all residents are as necessary today as when the law was passed.
The National Consumer Voice for Quality Long-Term Care hosted a podcast “The Nursing Home Reform Act: the Foundation for Better Care,” with Toby S. Edelman, Senior Policy Attorney at the Center for Medicare Advocacy, and Lori Smetanka, Executive Director at the National Consumer Voice for Quality Long-Term Care. The podcast discusses the passage of the Nursing Home Reform Act, its critical provisions, and what additional advocacy is needed to realize its full promise for all residents.
For a history of how the 1980s began in nursing home deregulation and ended with the Reform Act, see the Center for Medicare Advocacy’s webinar “The Federal Nursing Home Reform Law: A History and Lessons for Today” (Jan. 30, 2025).