Nursing Homes Cost Cutting Hurt Staff and Residents

Easing of rules at nursing homes that required a dedicated infection prevention expert is said to have exacerbated pandemic Cost-cutting measures at nursing homes across the U.S. exacerbated the pandemic. The piece suggested “there are strong indications that nursing homes aren’t just blameless victims and that the industry has, by lobbying against stricter federal rules and cutting staff sizes, likely helped accelerate outbreaks.” In fact, just “last year, at the urging of industry groups, the White House proposed easing rules enacted by President Obama that would have required each facility to hire a dedicated infection prevention expert.” While “Trump’s proposal received praise from the American Health Care Association, the main industry trade group that argued for it, and some homes postponed hiring these experts until the rules were fi nalized,” one infection prevention nurse and consultant for the long-term-care industry said, “Failure to have this position fully implemented has proven to be a costly mistake.” (Bloomberg – 10/31/20)