Pennsylvania Updates Nursing Home Staffing Rules

New staffing requirements for Pennsylvania nursing homes took effect on July 2023. The new rules should increase patient safety while reducing nursing home staffing stress.

Staffing Requirements At PA Nursing Homes

Nurses, state officials, labor advocates, and patient advocates have fought years for increased staffing at nursing homes. The new rules require nursing homes to have 1 CNA for every 12 residents and 1 LPN for every 25 residents (during day shift hours). In 2024, staffing ratios will increase.

Benefit To Nursing Home Residents

Nursing home residents should benefit in a couple of ways. Pennsylvania nursing homes are required to provide at least 2.87 hours a day of direct care to each resident.

More staff and dedicated attention to each resident is a big step toward improving patient safety. According to the PA Dept of Health, there are approximately 80,000 nursing home residents living in more than 700 facilities in the state. To date, many of these nursing homes have been understaffed and residents have been neglected.

Understaffed Nursing Homes

Some Pennsylvania nursing homes already keep staff numbers low. The staff is unable to ensure each resident gets the care they need. Low staffing also contributes to employee burnout and turnover. These are all factors in resident/patient safety. Overworked staff take shortcuts and make mistakes. Understaffing is a leading cause of nursing home neglect.

Nursing Home Neglect

Any form of neglect is concerning when it involves an elderly family member. Not all forms of neglect are considered serious. However, when neglect results in severe harm a nursing home injury attorney may be able to help.

Nursing Home Injury Attorney

A nursing home injury attorney may be able to help secure compensation and give your loved one the proper care they deserve. Contact Kane & Silverman for a free consultation with a nursing home injury attorney. You don’t pay us anything unless we recover money for you.