More Staff Equals A Safer Nursing Home Environment
A recently published study by the University of South Florida, the authors confirmed what many of us probably presumed was true: Quality of care substantially improved following the Florida legislature's enactment of requirements for increased nursing staff levels and other quality care measures.
According to the study, beginning in 1999, "Florida began developing a national reputation for State policy focused on nursing home quality" by instituting "regular, unannounced quality-of-care monitoring by state officials, release of information about all state licensed nursing homes via a public Internet site, development of a 'Gold Seal Program' to recognize facilities with outstanding care, and funding of a pilot teaching nursing home project to promote statewide development of best practices." Building on that legislation, in 2001, Florida enacted further legislation which mandated staffing levels, increased regulatory oversight and initiated a moratorium on new nursing home beds. According to the authors of the Florida study: "One consistent finding is that higher Registered Nurses (RN) levels are associated with lower number of falls, fewer pressure ulcers, and other patient care outcomes that indicate better quality of care."
Unfortunately, Idaho has not seen fit to follow Florida's lead. In Idaho, there is a requirement for a certain number of "nursing hours per day" depending on the size of the facility. There is, however, no requirement for additional nursing staff based on resident acuity. Instead, Idaho only requires staffing sufficient to "meet the total needs of the patients/residents."
As shown in Florida, mandatory staffing levels and other mechanisms make a real difference to the health and well being of nursing home residents. Come on, Idaho! Don't some of our most vulnerable citizens, those who can no longer care for themselves and are relying upon nursing homes for their care deserve better?
