A lawsuit by former residents at 12 Arkansas nursing facilities owned by Golden Living alleged that the facilities were chronically understaffed between December 2006 and July 2009, in violation of the facilities’ admission agreement, the … [Read more...] about Lawsuit Challenging Chronic SNF Understaffing Settled for $72 Million
SNF Staffing
New LTCCC Issue Alert: Nursing Home Staffing Requirements
The Long Term Care Community Coalition (LTCCC), in partnership with the Center for Medicare Advocacy, publishes monthly issue alerts on the rights of nursing home residents. These issue alerts focus on specific standards of care that nursing homes … [Read more...] about New LTCCC Issue Alert: Nursing Home Staffing Requirements
Mandatory Nurse Staffing Levels
Mandating specific levels of direct care nursing staff would seem to be a straightforward method to improve staffing in nursing facilities. If more nursing staff are needed, why not simply require facilities to employ more nurses? The … [Read more...] about Mandatory Nurse Staffing Levels
Federal Initiatives that May Affect Nurse Staffing Levels
This project has produced a series of short papers evaluating various state approaches to improving nurse staffing levels at nursing facilities. The papers have addressed state-mandated nurse staffing levels, wage pass-throughs, increasing … [Read more...] about Federal Initiatives that May Affect Nurse Staffing Levels
Staffing Requirements: The Revised Requirements of Participation
On October 4, 2016, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) published revised Requirements of Participation (RoP) for skilled nursing facilities (Medicare) and nursing facilities (Medicaid).[1] Although the substantive standards … [Read more...] about Staffing Requirements: The Revised Requirements of Participation
Don’t be Fooled by the Federal Nursing Home Five-Star Quality Rating System
In 2014, The New York Times reported that nursing facilities were gaming the Five-Star Quality Rating System on Nursing Home Compare and that “even nursing homes with a history of poor care rate highly in the areas that rely on self-reported … [Read more...] about Don’t be Fooled by the Federal Nursing Home Five-Star Quality Rating System
New Nursing Home Requirements of Participation: A Missed Opportunity
Public coverage of the new nursing home Requirements of Participation (RoPs)[1] – the standards of care that nursing facilities must meet in order to be eligible for reimbursement by the Medicare and Medicaid programs – has focused … [Read more...] about New Nursing Home Requirements of Participation: A Missed Opportunity
Improving Quality of Care for Nursing Home Residents by Improving Wages, Benefits, Training and Working Conditions for Nurse Aides
The single factor most critical to high quality of care and quality of life for nursing home residents is the staff who provide residents with care. Most direct care in nursing facilities is provided by nurse aides, primarily women of color, … [Read more...] about Improving Quality of Care for Nursing Home Residents by Improving Wages, Benefits, Training and Working Conditions for Nurse Aides
Increasing Reimbursement to Improve Staffing Levels
IntroductionOne approach to improving nurse staffing levels is increasing reimbursement to nursing facilities, on the assumption and expectation that nursing facilities will use some of the increased reimbursement to increase their … [Read more...] about Increasing Reimbursement to Improve Staffing Levels
RNs and CNAs Work Fewer Hours in Nursing Facilities that Serve Predominately Ethnic and Racial Minority Residents
A December 2015 Health Affairs study of freestanding Skilled Nursing Facilities (SNFs) from 2001 thru 2011 found that registered nurses (RNs) were less likely to work at nursing homes with high concentrations of racial and ethnic minorities.[1] This … [Read more...] about RNs and CNAs Work Fewer Hours in Nursing Facilities that Serve Predominately Ethnic and Racial Minority Residents