Nursing Home Staffing
Proposed Rules Improve Quality of Care for Residents of Ohio Nursing Homes
The Ohio Department of Health (ODH) is proposing a common sense update for the rules that protect over 100,000 medically frail residents in Ohio nursing homes. These requirements have not been updated in more than 25 years, and recognize that residents of nursing homes today are more medically impaired than ever before.
These rules were developed in cooperation with representatives of consumer, advocacy nursing home industry groups, professional boards, and other state agencies. They reflect extensive discussions and take into account current labor shortages in Ohio and elsewhere.
The estimated cost of these changes is no more than $15.8 million, which is less than 4 percent of the $425 million increase in tax dollars (Medicaid) nursing homes are receiving during the next two years.
Ohio nursing homes already receive one of the highest payments by Medicaid at $131.79 per resident, per day. Comparable states receive much less, including Michigan ($103.79), Illinois ($90.06), Indiana ($70) and Texas ($85.92).
The enhanced protection from these rules would:
- Strengthen tuberculosis testing requirements to better protect staf f and residents
- Increase training hours required for nurse aides from two to six hours
- Require infection control programs in every facility, to stop the potential spread of infectious diseases
- Set very specific standards for the use of restraints, and require close monitoring to prevent injuries or deaths from strangulation
- Establish requirements for call systems to assure residents get help from staff when needed
- Update pharmacy/drug requirements to meet national standards and provide for safer administration of medications
- Increase staffing to 2.75 hours of care per day, per resident, with two hours provided by nurse aides and two-tenths of an hour (12 minutes) provided by a registered nurse (RN). The remaining time can be provided by other directcare staff such as occupational or physical therapists, social workers, dietitians or activity aides.
ODH estimates that only about 100 nursing homes fall below the proposed daily staffing average of 2.75 hours per resident, per day, or 2.20 hours provided by nurse aides and nurses.
It is time that the standards in Ohio nursing homes better reflect the complex needs of today's nursing home residents.
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Last Updated: 08/20/2001 |
