Gov. Kathy Hochul’s administration has lifted a three-month pause on a new law that will require nursing homes to meet minimum standards for staffing and patient care.
Advocates for the law — which creates minimum staffing ratios and requires that nursing home residents get at least 3.5 hours per day of direct nursing care — said they're relieved that the delay is over.
Julie Martinez, a member of the health care workers union 1199 SEIU and a nurse at the Dunkirk nursing home in western New York, said there have been times in the past couple of years when she has been the only registered nurse on duty for 40 residents.
She said it’s “heartbreaking” to be unable to meet even the basic needs of residents, like helping them use the bathroom or getting them a glass of water.
“The staff is crying because they know that the residents are not getting quality care,” Martinez said. “They deserve it and we can’t give it to them.”
She said residents went for months without visitors earlier in the COVID-19 pandemic, and sometimes they just needed to have a conversation. Martinez said she hopes the new staffing minimums will now make that possible.
For the last six months of my multi-year role as my Mom's full-time caregiver, I was getting paid $12.50 for a set number of hours per week through CDPAP. It didn't cover the full 24/7 I was putting in, but believe me, after not earning a paycheck for a number of years, it was a big boost to my ego and for our household budget. On 1/1/22, the minimum was raised to $13.20.
Mom was 93 when she passed away at the end of January, and thus my income ended. Along with mourning her loss daily (and boy, do I miss her), making funeral arrangements, and taking care of legal issues, I had to look for a new source of income as a male in his late 50's.
Since I was already set up through CDPAP, I was told I could begin taking care of someone else immediately. I seriously considered this, but was unsure if I was ready to jump back into that role so soon. I applied for a few jobs in other fields, and through a miracle, I have accepted an office related position that pays a few dollars more than the minimum, with full benefits.
It's clear the need for home health aides will only increase, and they must be paid adequately. If the wage does increase as expected, I may give thought of making myself available on weekends to assist someone else.
The Navy dictated the terms on what kind of patients would be boarding those ships. They were not taking Covid cases.
It's irrelevant whether or not I admire or don't admire the former governor of NY.
The Navy made the decision about what kinds of patients would be on those ships, not the governor.
And it is about time they have minimum staffing requirements.
Though i wonder what will happen if they can't get enough workers to meet this minimum.
Nursing homes have become warehouses for the elderly.
Staffing a nursing home with the number of workers needed to provide quality care isn't complicated. Minimum staffing requirements isn't going to do it. My state has minimum staffing requirements. A nursing home will add an LPN with the RN per shift. It does nothing to improve the quality of care. Most establishments that accept Medicaid do not provide quality care to long-term, room and board care patients. They don't for memory care either. Offering CNA's wages and benefits that are not an insult and hiring enough of them for the residents is what will improve nursing home conditions.
Nursing home shareholders have to be willing to part with a crumb from the obscene money pie they gluttonously gorge their bank accounts in daily for any of it to happen.
Nursing homes will still make insane profits, just a tiny bit less. These places would become less like warehouses for the elderly and more like homes if they take the tiniest measure of putting people before profits. Until that happens there will be no substantial improvements.
As for Governor Cuomo and this so-called "abuse". Please. It's easy to criticize the way someone else handles a situation when you're not the one handling it, but are watching it on tv from your living room.
Gov Cuomo did what had to be done. A lot of times in life it doesn't come down to a "good" choice versus a "bad" one. Sometimes it comes down to what will be the lesser evil for everyone. He moved Covid-patients into nursing homes. What was he supposed to do? Have their beds wheeled out onto the curb? Visits to nursing homes had to stop for a while. Yes, the people get lonely. Yes, it's absolutely terrible how nursing homes are so lacking in essential staff. The lowest paid staff are the really the ones who do the work in a nursing home. The CNA's, housekeeping, dietary, etc... Adding more RN's isn't going to improve hands-on patient care in a nursing home. Adding more CNA staff and doubling their pay will. CNA staff in nursing homes is dangerously lacking because these caregivers finally woke up and smelled the coffee. Covid made many realize they're being screwed over while the nursing homes they slaved in made obscene profits off of their labor. CNA's are finally understanding their own importance in the chain of care and Amen to that. They strike for better pay, better conditions, and work benefits of some kind.
They're leaving the nursing homes in droves because they can make the same money or better in homecare, and only have to care for one or two people at a time. Or they go into private-duty cases only and make the good money like I do. Some states now allow a CNA who is certified in the state they live in to get paid directly from private insurance or Medicaid.
All the tears in the world won't improve resident care in a nursing home. Paying the essential staff who do the actual hands-on care a wage that isn't an insult and hiring enough of them to get the work done is what will make the change in care quality.
Lets be honest, he balled this situation big time and he started believing his own popularity agenda.
There were available options that he didn't use, to the detriment of others.
Until the government regulates profits on human care it will always be what it is.
I agree 100%, pay the actual caregivers decent wages and it will help.
Good to hear from you again, Joel. Glad you remain active in advocating for something close to your heart. Hope you have also branched out to quality time with friends, and hobbies you enjoy.
Take care.
https://www.agingcare.com/questions/dying-to-get-into-my-husbands-nursing-home-what-can-i-do-473996.htm
No, I'm afraid Gov Cuomo wasn't allowed to give the United States Navy orders and tell them how a navy medical ship would be used.
The two Navy medical ships (CA and NY) did not come into port to accommodate Covid cases. They came to take hospital patients who were in the hospital for other reasons.
You can admire Cuomo all you want, he balled this situation big time. No person should have been released to any general population living situation until there was more understanding but, that's what happens with people that think they know it all, it'll be their way, come what may.
He was to busy pretending to be a Savior, wonder how that's worked out for him?