Nursing Homes Say New Staffing Mandates Are Difficult to Meet
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Nursing home operators across the state say new minimum staffing requirements, intended to address long-standing concerns about care quality, are proving difficult to meet given the same direct-care workforce shortages already straining hospitals and home health agencies.
Several facilities report limiting new admissions rather than risk falling below required staffing ratios, a workaround that keeps them in compliance but reduces available nursing home beds at a time when demand from an aging population continues to grow.
"We agree with the goal of the requirement," said the administrator of one skilled nursing facility that has capped admissions. "We just don't have enough certified nursing assistants applying for open positions to staff at the level the requirement demands."
Industry associations have asked state regulators for a longer phase-in period and additional funding to support wage increases they say are necessary to attract more workers into direct-care roles. Patient advocacy groups have pushed back against delay requests, arguing that inadequate staffing directly affects resident safety and that facilities have had ample advance notice to prepare for the new requirements.
