CMS Expands Staffing Data
Beginning January 26, 2022, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) is posting new information on the Care Compare website that will help consumers have a better understanding of certain staffing information and concerns at facilities.
CMS will post this information for each facility and includes:
- Staff turnover: The percentage of nursing staff as well as the number of administrators who have stopped working at a nursing home over the past 12-month period.
- Weekend staff: The level of weekend staffing for nurses and registered nurses at a nursing home over a three-month period.
Posting of this information was required as part of the Affordable Care Act. In most facilities, staffing is lower on weekends. Residents wait even longer for assistance. Most do not receive all the care they need.
High turnover means that staff are less likely to know the residents, recognize changes in condition, or implement safety interventions.
All of this contributes to the quality of care residents receive and their quality of life.
CMS has also published a new list of Special Focus Facilities (SFF). SFFs are nursing homes with serious quality issues and history of neglect. CMS publicly discloses the names of the facilities chosen to participate in this program and candidate nursing homes.