"US Proposes Nursing Home Staffing Standards, Falls Short of Advocates' Expectations"

The Biden administration has proposed new regulations that would dictate staffing levels at nursing homes for the first time, in response to the systemic problems exposed by COVID-19. However, the proposed threshold falls short of what many advocates had hoped for, drawing criticism from both advocates and 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 it coming from registered nurses. The rules also require facilities to have an RN on staff 24 hours a day. The government estimates that the majority of nursing homes would need to add staff under these rules. The proposal now enters a public comment period and would take years to fully take effect.