In response to the systemic problems exposed by mass COVID-19 deaths in nursing homes, the Biden administration has announced that it will establish minimum staffing levels for the first time. However, the proposed threshold of staffing hours falls short of what advocates had hoped for and has drawn criticism from the nursing home industry.
The proposed rules call for staffing equivalent to 3 hours per resident per day, with just over half an hour of that coming from registered nurses. The regulations also require facilities to have an RN on staff 24/7. While the government argues that the majority of nursing homes would need to add staff, critics claim that the proposed standards are inadequate and fail to address residents’ needs. The rules are now open for public comment and will take years to fully take effect.