NATION: Established during the 1700s, the nursing home industry grew as a facility that would provide help and care for the elderly. In America, by the 1900s, the industry took on growth and change and by 1965, the focus had been turned to ensuring the health and wellbeing of elderly boarders. Following the development of the US the Nursing Reform Act, the efforts being made by nursing home operators has taken on new dimension. This week, Vice President Kamala Harris points to the need for expanding nursing home staffs stating that the current limited staffing does not adequately provide for the care of the elderly boarder. By Michelle Crawford-Sapenter "For residents, this will mean more staff and fewer ER visits, potentially, for care workers, more time with patients, less burn-out and lower turnover."- US Vice President Kamala Harris Today, during a brief press conference, US Vice President Kamala Harris commented in regard to US nursing homes and the federal funding that keeps the doors of nursing home open to the vast US public. Harris indicated that, while federal funds support the overhead and staffing for nursing homes, there exists the matter of understaffing which is currently in need for change. There are "...1.2 million Americans living in nursing homes..: adding that, while "...the vast majority of nursing homes are federally funded, the majority of federally funded nursing homes are understaffed"--Vice President Kamala Harris Following the Biden -Harris administration's probe into the status of US, federally funded nursing homes, the administration determined the need for ensuring that 1.2 million boarders are afforded the care they require-- such that will, now, be provided by nurses aids and registered nurses as a minimum and mandatory staffing measure. Harris stated, today, that the federal government has established a first time mandatory minimum staffing standard for federally funded nursing homes. Harris added that the adjustments made by the administration will provide for more time with patients for caregivers and fewer ER visits by patients. Following the results determined by the Biden administration, federally funded nursing homes will be mandated to staff 3.5 hours per day of care for every resident. Facilities will be mandated to maintain a registered nurse on duty at the facility on a 24 hour basis. The administration added that companies providing for nursing home residents must utilize 80% of Medicare payments for resident care. The new rules are meant to ensure that nursing home residents are treated like human beings not a job doing so by limiting neglect and delays in care. The changes made in the rules will, also, serve to lighten the load for care givers.
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