Wisconsin VP Harris visit; nursing home staffing rules finalized
LA CROSSE, Wis. - More workers might be coming to your local nursing home. On Monday, April 22, Vice President Kamala Harris announced new, final rules at a stop in La Crosse, Wisconsin. But conservative groups warn those rules could lead to nursing home shutdowns.
"What we are announcing today is long overdue, and we still have more work to do. For the first time in the history of our country, we are establishing national minimum staffing standards for federally-funded nursing homes," said Vice President Kamala Harris.
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About 80% of all nursing homes receive federal funding.
For every 100 patients, the nursing home would need on every shift: 2 to 3 nurses, 10 to 11 nurse aides, and two more nursing staff.
"For residents, this will mean more staff, which means fewer ER visits, potentially. More independence. For families, it’s going to mean more peace of mind in terms of your loved one being taken care of. And for careworkers, it’s going to mean more time with their patients, less burnout and lower turnover," added Vice President Harris.
But a conservative group, the Wisconsin Institute for Law and Liberty, warns about the new federal rules.
"For facilities that couldn’t find the staff, they would likely have to close and this is not good for Wisconsin patients and families," said Miranda Spindt from Wisconsin Institute for Law and Liberty.
The group says the state already faces a shortage of nursing home caregivers, a vacancy rate of nearly 30%.
"This new federal rule does have very good intentions, but it is flawed and will probably cause more harm than good, as nursing homes and long-term care providers would probably most likely not be able to meet those staffing requirements," added Spindt.
The Biden Administration will give nursing homes time to staff up, and it can give temporary exemptions to nursing homes in areas with a workforce shortage.
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Vice President Kamala Harris campaigns in La Crosse.
The vice president then held a campaign event with a focus on abortion.
"Fight we will and fight we must," said Vice President Harris.
It was her third visit to battleground Wisconsin this year, and it likely won't be her last with 197 days until election day.