(Circulation. 2000;102:e9009.)
© 2000 American Heart Association, Inc.
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Cardiovascular News
US Government Seeks More Stringent Nursing Home Regulation
After 8 years of study, officials from the US Department of Health and Human Services reported that most nursing homes have, on average, so few staff that patients are in danger, according to a July 23, 2000, report in the New York Times. As a result, officials are proposing new rules that would beef up the staffing requirements for the facilities that provide care to the nation’s elderly and infirm.
In a report to Congress, federal officials said that a lack of staff in nursing homes has contributed to an increase in severe bedsores, malnutrition, and abnormal weight loss among residents. The report also claims that patients suffer from life-threatening conditions that require hospitalization. Among these are congestive heart failure, infections, and dehydration.
The federal experts noted that the more severely understaffed a
facility is, the more likely that patients will suffer from poorer
care. To alleviate the problem, federal regulators recommend that each
patient receive 
2 hours of care each day from nurse’s aides and 12
minutes of care per day from a registered nurse. According to the
New York Times, large percentages of nursing homes do not
reach these levels.
Nonprofit nursing homes had significantly higher staffing levels than homes owned by for-profit agencies. According to the Times, nursing homes said it is unrealistic to require specific minimum staffing levels because payments from Medicare and Medicaid are too low.
In testimony before the US House Government Reform and Oversight of
Human Resources and Intergovernmental Relations Subcommittee