Visitation and Bonus

Visitation and Vaccination

Visitation rules limiting visits in most facilities eased as the CDC reported that COVID is in decline. CMS recommends long-term care facilities test visitors for COVID-19 before allowing them entry into their buildings.

Nursing homes must allow visitation for residents “at all times” under CMS standards. CMS earlier  reemphasized that providers can only close off visitor access in “very limited and rare exceptions.” CMS will also post booster data on its Care Compare website.

A nurse and her two daughters are facing felony charges after using fake COVID-19 vaccine cards to work at a nursing home in New York. Vaccination is a statewide requirement for all healthcare workers.

Raising Wages

Bloomberg reported that nonprofit aging services providers want President Joe Biden and Congress to give 4.6 million nursing home workers one-time payments of $2,000 apiece—and a $5 per hour pay hike—in order to shore up nationwide staffing shortages at the facilities. A raise is way over due but why should taxpayers subsidize private equity capital?

Harvard healthcare policy expert David Grabowski said:

“Policymakers must also increase benefits and ensure better working conditions. All too often, staff are overworked due to staffing shortages. Policymakers should put in place, support and enforce minimum staffing standards to ensure that staff are not overworked and residents have access to safe and effective care.” 

It is the least we can do for the most vulnerable of us. We can do better for staff and residents.