WSHA submitted comments on a proposed Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) rule that sets minimum staffing standards for long-term care facilities. If finalized, nursing homes would be required to have a registered nurse onsite and available for direct patient care 24/7 and provide a minimum number of hours of care per resident day (HPRD). WSHA is concerned the proposed rule, if adopted, will result in nursing homes reducing the numbers of patients they can care for.
WSHA’s comments focused on the impact one-size-fits-all requirements would have on the broader care continuum and the likelihood that the proposal would further delay discharges from acute care hospitals.
Per the rule, RNs would be required to provide 0.55 HPRD and nurse aides would be required to provide 2.45 HPRD. There are no provisions related to licensed practical nurses.
Read WSHA’s full statement here. WSHA will monitor for the release of the final rule. If you have any questions, please reach out to Remy Kerr at remyk@wsha.org. (Remy Kerr)
