Nursing homes will have to boost staffing or shrink capacity thanks to new law

Nursing homes have a staffing problem and they are scrambling for answers. When 2021 concludes, state law will mandate that nursing homes provide 3.5 hours of direct care to each resident.

What does that mean? More staff or fewer residents.

“Studies over the last 50 years show that staffing levels lead to better care and poor staffing levels lead to poor care,” Mary Wypych, a volunteer with Elder Justice recently told 13WHAM-TV. She advocated for the state law that will now require nursing home residents to receive 3.5 hours of direct care.

Nursing home administrators say coming out of the pandemic, the new state law presents facilities with a major challenge.

“I think it would have been hard under normal circumstances. When you throw in the vaccine mandate, it will be nearly impossible,” VP for Long Term Care at Thompson Health Amy Daly said. “What other Nursing Homes already doing is closing down wings, not admitting, so you’re essentially closing down beds, you’re not decertifying beds but you’re not admitting to your full compliment beds so you can reploy the staff and care for the residents you do have.”

The new state law takes effect January 1, 2022. Some nursing homes say they have already experienced significant loss of residents due to visitation rules during the pandemic.

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Nursing homes will have to boost staffing or shrink capacity thanks to new law