Industry Critics Blast ‘Tremendously Unfunded’ CMS Nursing Home Staffing Mandate, Warn of Severe Access Issues

As the nursing home industry finally gets a first look at the long-awaited proposed minimum staffing mandate released early Friday, leaders across the sector say that its most critical aspects deal with implementation timing, a “good faith” provision, and requirements for registered nurses (RNs). As it stands, the proposed rule has major implications for access […]

‘Working for Pennies:’ CNAs Demand Better Pay, Respect Amid Ongoing Staffing Crisis at Nursing Homes

Certified nursing assistants (CNAs) say the biggest challenge they face every day working in nursing homes stems from a staffing shortage for back-breaking work. It’s the second year in a row that the workforce crisis was listed as top priority in a survey conducted by the National Association of Health Care Assistants (NAHCA), which collected […]

Executive Outlook 2023: Reimagine How We Deliver Skilled Nursing Care

“The sector has a tremendous opportunity to reimagine how we deliver care.” These are the words of Nate Schema, president and CEO of The Evangelical Lutheran Good Samaritan Society, one of the largest providers of skilled nursing services in the United States. Good Sam is reimagining care in part through a $350 million virtual care […]

What the Eventual End of the Public Health Emergency Will Mean For Nursing Home Operators

Despite the federal government’s likely decision to keep the public health emergency (PHE) in place past January, the nursing home industry continues to prepare for operations without the safety net of certain waivers. Leaders in the space say any continuation of PHE waivers – temporary or permanent – should be dependent on cost and patient […]

Future of the CNA: Nursing Home Reform Efforts, Staffing Crisis Drive Changes in Key Role

Recent calls for nursing home reform and actions from regulators and lawmakers have drawn renewed attention to the role that certified nursing assistants currently play in care centers – and how their role could evolve. Some skilled nursing operators have responded to calls for expanding the CNA role by creating more specialized positions, and legislatures […]

Nursing Homes Add 1,600 Jobs in February as Occupancy Recovery Crawls

Nursing homes gained 1,600 jobs in February, a modest increase compared to home health and physician offices at 20,000 and 15,000, respectively, according to data compiled by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). The sector added 3,800 hires from December 2021 to January 2022, BLS data found. To put this data in perspective, nursing […]

Nursing Staff Leave SNFs at Higher Rate than CCRCs

Nursing homes this year experienced a higher rate of turnover for three positions — registered nurses (RNs), licensed practical nurses (LPNs) and certified nursing assistants (CNAs) — compared to continuing care retirement communities (CCRCs), according to a September report published by the Hospital & Healthcare Compensation Service (HCS). HCS pulled from separate reports on CCRCs […]

[UPDATED] Nursing Homes No Longer Alone As Federal Mandate Expands

Redoubling efforts to vaccinate frontline health care workers against COVID-19 and its variants, President Joe Biden on Thursday expanded staff vaccination requirements to include any provider that receives Medicare or Medicaid funding. The move is part of sweeping efforts affecting upwards of 100 million Americans — employers with more than 100 workers will be required […]

Medical Directors are in Short Supply When Their Expertise is Needed Most

A continued shortage of medical directors opting to enter the aging space has had unforeseen ramifications in skilled nursing facilities, with this position being key to convincing staff to receive the COVID-19 vaccine. Certified nursing assistants (CNAs) in particular, according to the National Association of Health Care Assistants CEO Lori Porter, put a lot of […]

New CNA, LPN Contracts Raise Nursing Home Wages Across United States

Nursing home operators across multiple states have raised wages for certified nursing assistants and licensed practical nurses, thanks to a combination of union actions, post-pandemic market dynamics and public policy shifts. But with operators still facing acute financial pressures, raising wages is not a simple matter. Larger structural changes are needed to support higher wages […]