Despite what critics say, Florida nursing homes are improving | Opinion

A recent news article reported on AARP’s history lesson of the staffing requirements that Florida’s Legislature put in place for nursing homes — but unfortunately, it doesn’t reflect our care centers’ ongoing and successful efforts to enhance quality care despite historic workforce challenges and limited resources.

If AARP’s recent report is to be believed, nursing centers simply need to hire more nurses and other caregivers and all problems will magically disappear. However, several things are missing from this analysis. The first is that the quality of care at Florida nursing homes has consistently remained above national averages. A second, harder reality is that caregivers are in short supply, and we cannot hire nurses who do not exist. Third is that it takes resources to make quality advancements, and with chronic staffing shortages and costs rising in every aspect of nursing home care delivery, it’s getting more and more difficult for centers to plan ahead for the future needs of our seniors.

Emmett Reed is CEO of the Florida Health Care Association, Florida’s first and largest advocacy organization for long-term care providers and the elderly they serve.

That’s why the Florida Health Care Association and its members are asking the Legislature to invest in our nursing centers this session by boosting funding levels to address quality and rising costs, by preventing unnecessary lawsuits that divert dollars from resident care, and by helping get nurses back to a higher level of caregiving with the assistance of Qualified Medication Aides (QMAs). In communities saturated with health care providers, nursing centers continue to be challenged in hiring staff, and increased funding can help, as can stopping the predatory practices of trial attorneys.

The Legislature’s authorization of QMAs, found in House Bill 351 and Senate Bill 558, will help with staff retention and enhance quality care. By letting trained QMAs assist nurses on routine medication distribution, nurses would have more time to use their specialized skills to produce more successful treatment outcomes for residents. This will improve job satisfaction among nurses and certified nursing assistants, who can train to become a QMA after at least one year of experience. This is one piece of legislation that the nursing home industry and AARP agree on, because it can improve care outcomes provided by nurses without lessening current staffing requirements and give CNAs another pathway to grow their skills and earn a higher wage.

Let there be no mistake: Quality measures for nursing centers in Florida are far from what some would have you believe. Over 65% of our care centers have a four- or five-star rating by the federal Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, and 75% of them have earned at least one national award or accreditation related to quality care delivery.

As shown on a new dashboard we recently unveiled, Florida care centers consistently rank above the national average, and among the top 10 nationwide, in such categories as helping residents improve various activities of daily living, reducing falls, fending off depression and receiving flu vaccines.

Much of this is a reflection of the dedicated caregivers focused on quality initiatives designed to improve resident outcomes. We continue to make strides despite all the challenges our industry has faced over the last three years. But there is no question we need to be able to retain qualified staff in the face of a nationwide 53.5% nursing staff turnover rate. That’s why we are asking the Legislature for workable solutions and new approaches that will ensure that Florida remains a leader in giving our nursing home residents the quality care they expect and need, today and into the future.

Emmett Reed is CEO of the Florida Health Care Association, Florida’s first and largest advocacy organization for long-term care providers and the elderly they serve.