Robert W. Hurlbut, president of Hurlbut Care Communities, knows a thing or two about battling burnout among his workers. Paying staff well along with flexibility of work schedules and retaining a family atmosphere has proven to be sure shot strategies to beat turnover. And the proof of this strategy’s success is in the results. Hurlbut […]
Federal lawmakers have introduced the Long-Term Care Workforce Support Act, in conjunction with a hearing that took place Tuesday, hosted by the U.S. Senate Special Committee on Aging. The bill, if passed, would increase the number of direct care professionals, including in rural communities. Some associations representing the nursing home industry said the legislation managed […]
The proposed minimum staffing mandate for nursing homes has left the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and is now pending final approval. According to the OMB calendar, several industry organizations have met with the office as the staffing mandates nears finalization, including The American Health Care Association (AHCA), officials from the Department of Health […]
Despite a 17.5% Medicaid increase last year, at least 25 nursing homes closed in Pennsylvania since the pandemic began – and a significant financial shortfall remains, leaders said. Closures equate to a loss of 2,588 certified nursing home beds in the state since 2020. The continued workforce shortage and underfunding of Medicaid made closures and […]
Skilled nursing beds continue to be associated with more operational stress among continuing care retirement communities (CCRCs) this year, despite improved occupancy from 72.4% in 2022 to 82.2% in 2023, and preliminary 2024 data showing further improvement. Fitch Ratings recorded eased labor challenges as well among skilled nursing providers as part of its “exposure draft” […]
In an address to care workers and unions, President Joe Biden said Tuesday that the federal government plans to release “in the coming weeks” new rules to bolster the workforce in nursing homes. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has been working on finalizing the proposed staffing mandate, with some in the industry anticipating […]
Government leaders are cracking down on long-term care providers in Arizona, expanding health officials’ authority to monitor and fine operators in nursing homes, as well as assisted living and memory care. Legislation was signed into law on Monday, originally designed to establish minimum training standards for staff working with memory care residents, according to a […]
The federal government’s proposed Medicare payment increase for 2025 is not sitting well with the nursing home sector, with financial experts and operators raising concerns that the bump fails to compensate for inflation-induced operating costs – and a staffing proposal anticipated to cost in the billions each year. For some experts, the Centers for Medicare […]
North Dakota has some of the highest staffing levels in the country – no small feat considering the many pockets of rural communities. The state has achieved this because of a very supportive legislative body that recognizes the value of long-term care services, including skilled nursing, operators and associations say. Garth Rydland, president and CEO […]
Nursing homes in Pennsylvania face a critical underfunding of Medicaid, with one in four nursing home beds currently offline due to inadequate reimbursement. Survey findings from LeadingAge PA also point toward the continuing workforce shortage, as to why so many beds are not in use. About 48% of facilities in the state have had to […]
As inadequate funding squeezes nursing homes dry, with Medicare Advantage reimbursing lower than traditional Medicare, and Medicaid funding decades behind on meeting cost of care, facilities are shifting operations to optimize reimbursement. But even that may not be enough. Richard Gamache, CEO of Aldersbridge Communities in Rhode Island, has had to make such operating decisions […]
Nursing home operators, states and federal agencies continue to shift their strategy to meet the demands of the future work environment, as nursing shortages persist and nursing homes face possible upcoming staffing regulations. Some of these efforts have centered on easing education, training and credentialing. To that end, operators have bolstered relationships with local universities […]
Following allegations of physical and sexual assaults, and neglect of patient medical care, California operator Mariner Health Care has agreed to pay up to $15.5 million in penalties, plus $2.25 million in costs, if unable to abide by terms related to patient safety and staffing levels. Mariner Health Care neither admitted to nor denied wrongdoing, […]
Litigation tied to the use of independent contractors in the nursing home space has increased ever since the Department of Labor (DOL) in January cracked down on the criteria used to classify workers in the sector. Operators are being targeted, rather than the agencies supplying such staff, and the changes are bound to affect recruitment. […]
The threat of closure is ever present for nursing home operators, with low Medicaid reimbursements and workforce shortages amid a growing population of higher acuity patients complicating care. Since the start of the pandemic, six nursing homes in Rhode Island have closed their doors, forcing the relocation of more than 100 residents, Gov. Dan McKee […]
Some Republican senators blasted the Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) minimum staffing proposal for nursing homes in a recent finance committee meeting, noting the paltry $75 million to bolster staffing isn’t enough to support upcoming regulations. Sen. John Barrasso (R-Wyo.) pointed out that four of five facilities won’t be able to comply with […]
As a “chunk” of the nursing home sector teeters on the brink, the political will of the White House and the unions to implement the federal staffing mandate appears to be at odds with its practicality, affording the industry a chance to challenge it both legislatively and legally. This view was expressed by Ensign CEO […]
Inflation and the shortage of skilled care workers were the main drivers of increases in the rising costs of long-term care services in 2023, with skilled nursing rooms posting the highest increase. Genworth’s latest Cost of Care Survey released Tuesday found that since 2022, the national annual median cost of a semi-private room in a […]
Labor costs continue to be top of mind for nursing home operators as the workforce shortage persists and operators anticipate the finalized version of the federal minimum staffing rule. Operators reported average wage increases for their employees of 4.43% in 2023, dropping to 3.64% thus far for 2024, according to the Ziegler CFO Hotline survey […]
Ahead of President Biden’s State of the Union address Thursday, a final rule mandating staffing limits and calling for greater Medicaid payment transparency was submitted for regulatory review to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). And while in addressing the joint session of Congress, Biden failed to mention the reforms contained in the rule […]
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