NCPSSM - National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare
07/18/2024 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 07/18/2024 08:40
Democratic Platform to Include Nursing Home Staffing Standards
The movement toward establishing minimum staffing levels at nursing homes got a boost from the Democratic Platform Committee this week, thanks to an amendment offered by the National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare. The amendment was introduced by NCPSSM president and CEO Max Richtman, who was selected to represent seniors' interests on the platform committee.
The amendment, which the committee approved this week and will now become part of the 2024 Democratic party platform, reads:
"Democrats will overhaul the quality of care and the quality of life for our nation's 1.3 million nursing home residents by defending the administration's regulations that require minimum staffing standards at nursing homes."
The amendment supports the Biden Administration's new minimum staffing rules. When fully implemented, the new regulations will require nursing homes to have a minimum of .55 registered nurse (RN) and 2.45 nurse aide hours of care for every resident every day. The standards also mandate that nursing homes have an RN on site 24/7 to ensure that residents receive attention throughout the day and night.
Extensive research shows that chronic understaffing at nursing homes results in serious harm to residents, including shortening their lives. Understaffing also contributes to poor morale and high turnover among professional caregivers. Some of this understaffing is the result of a reckless effort on the part of corporate and private equity nursing home operators to squeeze costs and maximize profits.
"The minimum staffing amendment to the platform puts the Democratic party squarely on the side of nursing home residents and caregivers," says Richtman. "There is a reason these facilities are called 'nursing homes.' Without minimum requirements for nursing care on site, we might as well call them parking lots for older people."
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Media inquiries contact:
Walter Gottlieb