BILL FILED TO STOP THE PROCESS BECAUSE THEY DON'T LIKE THE POSSIBLE OUTCOME. HOW IS THAT JUST TO CONSUMERS OR CONSTITUENTS?
This merits calls to your U.S. Senator and U.S. House Rep. As constituents, we are, at the very least, entitled to see the process work itself through even if we are certain the industry has enough legislators on their side to defeat it. Legislators should not be allowed to shut down an entire process before it begins because the outcome may be one they don't like.
I don't expect everyone even in our own group to agree with a minimum staffing requirement but how do you block something that isn't even filed yet?
U.S. Senator Deb Fischer (R-NE) and Jon Tester (D-MT) introduced a bill cosponsored by U.S. Senators Roger Marshall (R-KS), James Lankford (R-OK), Kyrsten Sinema (I-AZ), Joe Manchin (D-WV), Roger Wicker (R-MS), Susan Collins (R-ME), and Angus King (I-ME), PROHIBITING the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) from being able to finalize the proposed staffing requirement for nursing homes. It is a companion to Congresswoman Fischbach's (MN-07) bill filed in September.
Let me clarify this for you. The bill author says minimum staffing standards "would hurt facilities" and would "force many to close".
Seriously, why is it BETTER to have MORE facilities that cannot provide uncompromised care? That leave residents unattended, medications undispensed, phones unaswered, and meals undistributed?
The 3.0 hours average per person proposed is far less than what was necessary 20 years ago to protect residents from harm and neglect and TODAY, residents require more hours because people are waiting until they are older and/or have more complex needs to enter a facility.
But a huge number of legislators believe the industry over us. We have borne witness to staff members trying to single-handedly care for more residents than humanly possible without substantial risk and danger to both the residents and staff. Yet, if the industry (those facilities and providers with enough revenue to fund lobbyists) says it isn't happening, then those legislators believe it isn't and we are mistaken. Or, the industry simply has them convinced that the whole long-term care system will collapse if we do not keep skeleton-crewed facilities incapable of providing quality care.
Take note of this list of endorsements INCLUDING Texas Healthcare Association representating much of the nursing home industry in Texas.
1. Advena Living Group 2. ADVION 3. Alabama Nursing Home Association 4. American Association of Post-Acute Care Nursing (AAPACN) 5. American Health Care Association 6. American Hospital Association 7. American Society of Consultant Pharmacists 8. Arizona Health Care Association 9. Arkansas Health Care Association 10. Association of Jewish aging services 11. Avera 12. California Association of Health Facilities (CAHF) 13. Care Providers of Minnesota 14. Care Providers Oklahoma 15. Cascadia Healthcare 16. Catholic Health Association of the United States 17. Colorado Health Care Association 18. Connecticut Association of Health Care Facilities 19. District of Columbia Health Care Association 20. Essentia Health 21. Federation of American Hospitals 22. Genesis Healthcare 23. Georgia Health Care Association 24. Good Samaritan 25. Health Care Association of Michigan 26. Health Care Association of Michigan 27. Hill Top House 28. Idaho Health Care Association 29. Illinois Health Care Association 30. Immanuel 31. Indiana Health Care Association 32. Iowa Health Care Association 33. Iowa Hospital Association 34. Kansas Health Care Association/KS Center for Assisted Living 35. Kansas Hospital Association 36. Kentucky Association of Health Care Facilities 37. LeadingAge 38. LeadingAge California 39. LeadingAge Colorado 40. LeadingAge Connecticut 41. LeadingAge DC 42. LeadingAge Florida 43. LeadingAge Georgia 44. LeadingAge Iowa 45. LeadingAge Kansas 46. LeadingAge Maine & New Hampshire 47. LeadingAge Massachusetts 48. LeadingAge Minnesota 49. LeadingAge New Jersey & Delaware 50. LeadingAge New York 51. LeadingAge North Carolina 52. LeadingAge Oklahoma 53. LeadingAge PA 54. LeadingAge South Carolina 55. LeadingAge Tennessee 56. LeadingAge Texas 57. LeadingAge Virginia 58. LeadingAge Wyoming 59. Louisiana Hospital Association 60. Louisiana Nursing Home Association 61. Lutheran Services in America 62. Maine Council on Aging 63. Maine Health Care Association 64. Maine Hospital Association 65. Maine Medical Association 66. Maine Osteopathic Association 67. Massachusetts Senior Care Association 68. Midwest Health, Inc. 69. Minnesota Hospital Association 70. Minnesota Rural Health Association 71. Mississippi Health Care Association 72. National Association of State Veterans Homes (NASVH) 73. National Organization of State Offices of Rural Health (NOSORH) 74. National Rural Health Association 75. Nebraska Health Care Association 76. Nebraska Hospital Association 77. New England Rural Health Association 78. New Hampshire Health Care Association 79. North Carolina Health Care Facilities Association 80. North Dakota Hospital Association 81. North Dakota Long Term Care Association 82. Oklahoma Hospital Association 83. Ohio Health Care Association 84. Pennsylvania Health Care Association 85. Pennsylvania Rural Health Association 86. Rhode Island Health Care Association 87. Sanford Health 88. South Dakota Assoc. of Healthcare Organizations 89. South Dakota Health Care Association 90. St. Otto's Care Center Inc. 91. Tabitha Health 92. Texas Health Care Association 93. The Alaska Hospital & Healthcare Association 94. Trinity Health 95. Utah Health Care Association 96. Vetter Senior Living 97. Virginia Health Care Association-Virginia Center for Assisted Living 98. Wyoming Health Care Association