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More than 200,000 residents and staff in nursing homes died during the pandemic. Some nursing homes did better than others and nurse staffing has been found to be one reason why. But we knew before the pandemic that nurse staffing in nursing home matters. We have reams of research documenting that staffing makes a difference in the quality of care and outcomes of that care. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid recently released long-awaited final rule that would set federal minimum staffing standards for nursing homes, but there have been efforts to undo it. Diana Mason, PhD, RN, host of HealthCetera in the Catskills, talked about this rule and the pushback on it with Dr. Elizabeth Halifax, a registered nurse and Assistant Clinical Professor in the Department of Social & Behavioral Sciences at UCSF. Her career has been focused on care of older adults, first in the UK and now in the US, including conducting research and holding leadership positions in long term care and nursing homes. She is a consultant on training and nursing homestaffing issues and a legal expert witness on cases related to nursing home care. She is an executiveboard member of the National Consumer Voice for Quality Long-Term Care, an organization that provides national education, advocacy, and policy analysis for long-term care residents.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 29:12 — 46.8MB)
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