The nursing home sector is facing a workforce crisis, and unfortunately, federal government is looking at the wrong kinds of solutions to bring more staff into facilities.
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services has proposed a one-size-fits-all federal staffing mandate for nursing homes, which would require nursing homes to hire thousands more nurses and nurse aides while offering no additional federal funding to aid in hiring.
This proposed regulation poses an imminent threat to Delaware’s seniors and their access to quality long-term care.
As noted in the bipartisan letter signed by 28 U.S. senators, the federal staffing standards do not provide the flexibility necessary to nursing homes in light of well-known and long-standing direct-care workforce challenges, especially in rural and underserved areas. Many of these senators are leading legislation that would stop the administration from finalizing the rule, which deserves the support of the Delaware delegation.
The reality is there are not enough qualified and available workers in the current labor market for nursing homes to hire the number of nurses and nurse aides they need to fulfill the requirement. Just like the rest of the country, Delaware is battling a significant nursing shortage, especially in nursing homes. In fact, 93% of Delaware nursing homes cannot meet the mandate as it’s currently written.
If nursing homes are unable to hire enough workers to comply with the arbitrary rule, facilities will be forced to limit admissions. Some may shut down entirely. The displacement of residents in Delaware would be devastating to them and their families. Here in Delaware, this issue is particularly concerning as nearly 35% of our population is over 50, and many require long-term care. This is why protecting access to care is so important.
The inability of nursing homes to accept new residents disrupts the entire healthcare system as hospitals face backlogs and patients are unable to receive the type of care they need. As the former CEO of the state’s most rural hospital serving Sussex County, I can attest to these challenges and the hardship lack of access to long-term care facilities places upon our friends and neighbors. Under this regulation, that hardship will only increase as available beds are withdrawn from service due to lack of workforce. Our seniors who need immediate access to care should not face the extended wait periods this regulation will produce.
Instead of a blanket mandate, federal policymakers should consider collaborative solutions that will increase staffing levels by getting more workers in the pipeline. This means dedicating federal funding toward programs that will train and recruit the next generation of healthcare workers.
I urge the Biden administration to ensure every Delaware senior has access to care and withdraw this mandate. I also encourage our congressional delegation to be a champion for our seniors and work with other members of Congress to implement comprehensive solutions that will build the healthcare workforce.
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