Vice President Harris announces final rules mandating minimum standards for nursing home staffing

[sybylla]

8. I worked as a nursing assistant at a home a block from my house in 1989.

I was hired and trained with 3 other nursing assistants. We were constantly short staffed. I was constantly told they couldn't find anyone to work even though when I was hired a few weeks before, they magically found 4 of us.

Low staff was not a bug, it was a feature. Two things I've learned is that nursing home owners and funeral home owners scavenge off their customers, who often have very little choice.

These costs will definitely be passed on. And there will always be excuses for being short staffed.

But if they can't take new residents because they don't have the staff, maybe the staff will be treated better and paid better and can focus on providing premium care for their residents.

I left that nursing home job, a job I really wanted to like, after 6 weeks. I couldn't stand to see staff and residents abused for profit. I refused to be part of it.