Nearly 80% of US nursing homes are currently experiencing staffing shortages, and it’s an issue that played no small part in the 200,000 nursing home deaths that crippled the care industry throughout the Covid outbreak.
Speaking on this in his State of the Union address in February, Biden has vowed to ‘protect seniors’’ lives moving forward, a goal he intends to achieve with the establishment of comprehensive staffing requirements for nursing homes across the country.
Under this new requirement, which is the greatest change to federal nursing home regulations in three decades, already struggling facilities are required to increase staff to outlined minimum levels. But, with no additional funding forthcoming, the estimated 15,000 care homes to be affected are facing yet more pressure during an already difficult time.
Instead of providing a solution, Biden’s suggestion has therefore posed yet another problem, and many people are asking why.
What is Biden’s new nursing standard actually aiming to achieve? In theory, the idea of a standard nursing level across care homes isn’t bad, especially as neglect-based health issues like bed sores, dehydration, and even depression continue to take US care homes by storm. With standard staffing levels, there would be far more incentive for care homes to maintain proper staffing levels, providing much-needed support for workers and patients alike.
But Biden’s announcement only works on the assumption that industry shortages are a result of negligent operations. While this is true in some cases, funding is perhaps the prime issue that can be seen time and again across the industry, and it’s something Biden has entirely failed to address.
Yet, with existing care home employees receiving low wages for hard work and long hours, the idea of having to make existing budgets stretch to new hires doesn’t feel like a viable solution at all.
What really needs to change?
According to the experts, America’s care homes require a complete overhaul. Staffing issues feature within that, but funding is also essential for both meeting required numbers and paying a decent wage in the first place.
Industry leaders have also expressed concerns regarding where new hires are coming from, with the care industry also greatly affected by healthcare shortages estimated to reach as many as 195,400 nurses by the end of this year. Training and development is, therefore, also seemingly crucial for the insurance of a new generation of workers. Otherwise, staffing increases will be impossible to meet even if the money is there.
Only by addressing these issues can Biden oversee the change that, it seems, he’s attempting to achieve with new regulations. But, with no further funding or suggestions for improvement in sight, people are seriously starting to question whether these new standards have the power to change anything.
This comes as a disappointing blow, especially given that this change alone has been three decades in the making. Time will tell whether Biden will realize that more transformative steps are needed to save a care sector that’s been dangerously close to the edge for far too long.
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