As Biden attempts to tackle the issues making headlines with nursing homes, more information comes out about the specifics of the plan the White House wants to put into play.
It is a multi-pronged approach, set to tackle different issues with nursing homes at the same time. It is important to understand each part of the plan in order to view it cohesively.
Improving the quality of nursing homes
The White House discusses plans to improve nursing home quality and safety. First, the plans will focus on providing support for nursing homes with adequate, safe and dignified care via tax dollars. This includes establishing staffing requirements, reducing room crowding and reinforcing safeguards for treatments and medications that are not necessary.
It will enhance accountability and oversight, too. This means funding inspections, beefing up scrutiny on poorly performing facilities, increasing accountability, and providing resources for improvement.
It increases transparency. This includes matters of facility ownership as well as finances. It also includes examining the role of private equity and enhancing the Nursing Home Care Compare.
Creating job paths and preparing for emergencies
It creates paths to jobs that pay well, with union options. This means ensuring that training for nurses’ aides is affordable. It also supports any state efforts to increase workforce sustainability and improve staffing.
Finally, it ensures emergency preparedness. This includes continued combat of the ongoing pandemic and preparation for potential future pandemics. It will integrate pandemic lessons into the requirements for nursing homes, strengthen on-site infection preventionists and enhance requirements for general and pandemic-specific emergency preparedness. It also supports the continued rollout of both vaccinations and boosters, along with easily accessible testing.