Proposed nursing home staffing standards are ‘disaster waiting to happen,’ industry reps say
PIERRE, S.D. (South Dakota Searchlight) – Proposed federal staffing standards for nursing homes that accept Medicaid would be catastrophic for South Dakota facilities, industry representatives warn.
The South Dakota Association of Healthcare Organizations and South Dakota Health Care Association both presented information to legislators at Thursday’s committee meeting at the Capitol on the sustainability of long-term care in the state.
The rules would require a registered nurse be on duty 24/7 – up from the current requirement of eight hours a day, seven days a week – and would require facilities to have enough nursing staff to provide each resident with at least 0.55 hours of registered nurse care and 2.45 hours of nurse aid care every day.
Just over 5% of South Dakota nursing homes currently meet the proposed minimum staffing standards, explained SDHCA Executive Director Mark Deak. That would mean around 95% of South Dakota facilities would have to hire additional nursing staff.
Read the full story from Dakota News Now here.
