Monterey, CA Nursing Homes & Assisted Living Facilities Struggle To Hire Staff

caregiver buttoning seniors - Pebble Beach home personal care

It should come as no surprise that nursing home staff shrunk dramatically during the COVID-19 pandemic.  According to a new study and federal data, most facilities lost more than half their nurses and aides in the past year.  The study found that facilities have struggled to refill openings, particularly certified nursing assistants or CNA’s.  Unfortunately, health care companies and hospitals are also suffering from staffing shortages so it’s unclear how quickly these assisted living facilities will be able to replace their staff.

Monterey, CA Nursing Homes, Assisted Living Facilities To Face Minimum Staffing Standards

The White House, some members of Congress and the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine are all pushing hard to pass nursing home reform legislation targeting “profiteering, cold-hearted” corporations who left many seniors vulnerable against COVID-19.  Many of them died.

“It is up to Congress…to shine a bright light on the current practice, to reign them in, and strictly enforce high standards for performance,” U.S. Rep. Bobby Rush (D-Ill.) wrote to the chair of the House Oversight Committee.  “It is Congress’s job to stand in-between greedy corporations and those who are the most defenseless,” he said.

Help appears to be on the way.  The White House is reportedly getting ready to use executive authority to tighten industry regulations.  The proposals include setting the first nationwide minimum staffing requirements and expanding regulatory authority to crack down on corporate owners with a poor track record.