A case that could determine whether state-owned nursing homes are shielded from federal lawsuits filed by residents will be heard by the nation’s top court in just a few weeks despite calls from activists and lawmakers to dismiss the case entirely. While members of Health & Hospital Corp. of Marion County, the county’s public health […]
It’s hard to pin down how nursing home operators should be feeling as the end of the year approaches. The best way I could describe it, one week after attending the American Health Care Association/National Center for Assisted Living (AHCA/NCAL) conference in Nashville, is a combination of optimism and pessimism that fluctuates depending on the […]
Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan has earmarked $50 million in funding for the state’s nursing homes and hospitals to ease workforce challenges and other Covid-related obstacles. “This additional funding will help further ease some of the burdens the COVID-19 pandemic has caused our hospitals and skilled nursing facilities across the state,” Maryland Department of Health Secretary […]
A lot of temporary measures will dry up or disappear when the public health emergency (PHE) comes to an end, but one thing that may become permanent is the Medicaid rate bumps states put in place to alleviate pressures nursing home operators face. At least that’s the hope for industry leaders and advocacy groups. Right […]
Nursing home leaders have largely steered clear of making predictions given the events of the last two-plus years, but the head of the sector’s largest trade group confidently made one Monday. “One thing that I am sure about, and that I see very clearly is my prediction, and that is that you and your team […]
Ahead of a federal minimum staffing ratio to be proposed for the nation’s nursing homes, data continues to show a shortfall of available staff to meet such requirements. Many operators are in favor of higher staffing levels, but not without state or federal funding to hire and retain the appropriate level of staff. Others hope […]
As pandemic era waivers are winding down and the public health emergency (PHE) will eventually come to an end, CMS officials are urging nursing home leaders to begin getting used to no longer relying on the Covid-related flexibilities. “We are encouraging health care providers to prepare for the end of the flexibilities and begin to […]
As a flurry of regulations and mandates descend upon the nursing home sector, such changes could create legal obstacles, and suggest yet another difficult and onerous year for providers. Staffing mandates, the aftermath of the end of the public health emergency (PHE), Covid liability and the PREP Act, all create “existential threats” for skilled nursing […]
Nursing homes across the country are anxiously waiting for the federal government to approve temporary nurse aide (TNA) waivers just days before the program is set to expire. Massachusetts, Washington, Indiana and Louisiana have had their statewide waiver requests approved so far, but more than 10 states were still waiting for further information to be […]
Some nursing homes will be able to remove the blanket indoor mask requirements that have been in effect for the last two and a half years — with the exception of those in areas with “high” Covid transmission levels. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued the guidance late Friday, just one month […]
As the skilled nursing industry works to stem the workforce shortage tide, leaders in the sector should not expect to find the ultimate answers in Washington. That’s according to Clif Porter, senior vice president of government relations at the American Health American Health Care Association/National Center for Assisted Living (AHCA/NCAL). “We can’t fix this in […]
The U.S. Supreme Court will have to decide whether it will hear a nursing home Covid-19 wrongful death case involving the PREP Act — potentially interpreting the federal statute for the first time. California-based nursing home operator Glenhaven Healthcare asked the Supreme Court to consider taking up the case in late August after the 9th […]
If the sector is going to make meaningful progress in rebuilding its depleted workforce pool, federal government agencies need to begin unwinding many of the stringent Covid-19 related guidelines nursing homes have adhered to over the last two-plus years. Until that occurs, the skilled nursing industry will likely remain stagnant, according to Carespring CEO Chis […]
Nursing home labor shortages appear to have finally bottomed out, as this year has been defined by sequentially higher increases in the workforce. Most recently, nursing and residential care facilities in August saw a jump in employment of 12,000-plus jobs, with health care adding 412,000 jobs over the year. That’s quite the leap from an […]
Nursing home providers and industry leaders renewed their pleas this week to federal government officials to consider non-nursing positions in its proposed minimum staffing requirements, perhaps to no avail. An upcoming study to help determine an appropriate staffing level will squarely focus on nursing staff, specifically registered nurses (RNs), licensed practical nurses (LPNs), licensed vocational […]
Donna Kelsey considers herself an optimistic realist. As the head of American Senior Communities (ASC), Kelsey remains hopeful about the opportunity to boost census across the company’s 102 facilities. She also recognizes the realities of continuing to operate in a pandemic where federal and state regulations for nursing homes remain tight as the rest of […]
Current immigration policies are creating unnecessary roadblocks that hinder the recovery and potential growth of the nursing home industry’s workforce by “leaps and bounds.” And the situation has only become increasingly more dire as the sector faces a labor shortage at levels not seen in the last three decades. The ability to bring over international […]
The federal government provided relief to the nursing home industry in the form of a phased-in parity adjustment and a 2.7% pay bump, but a potentially enormous obstacle still stands in the way of the sector’s recovery. While many industry leaders believe a federal staffing ratio is all but guaranteed, the Centers for Medicare & […]
Nursing home leaders looking to return to pre-pandemic staffing levels may have to wait at least four years should the industry maintain its modest pace of recovery. That’s according to a new report released Monday by the American Health Care Association and National Center for Assisted Living (AHCA/NCAL). Based on the nursing home sector’s average […]
As operating costs remain high and staffing shortages persist, nursing homes across the country, particularly those situated in small markets, are closing their doors in response. Staff, as a result, are then left with the decision to relocate to another facility perhaps many miles away, or leave the industry altogether. Seven nursing homes in the […]
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