Commissioners Oppose Federal Rule Threatening Senior Care
Mesa County Commissioners have formally voiced their opposition to a proposed federal rule by the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services, a development they believe will adversely affect Colorado seniors. Commissioners Bobbie Daniel, Janet Rowland, and Cody Davis contacted Senators Hickenlooper and Bennet and Congresswoman Boebert to express their concerns.
The proposed rule introduces a new staffing mandate for nursing homes, a change that could exacerbate existing workforce shortages in the long-term care sector and subsequently restrict senior citizens' access to essential care. The mandate is 4.2 nursing hours per patient. For example, if there are 100 patients, that is 420 nursing hours in a 34-hour period. The letter highlights the rule as an unfunded mandate and emphasizes the impracticality of enhancing staffing levels under current conditions.
Nursing homes nationwide are struggling with a historic staffing crisis, magnified in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic. Since the pandemic's onset, nursing homes have seen a 15 percent reduction in their workforce, a trend not anticipated to reverse until 2026. This predicament poses a significant risk, especially in rural and underserved communities with scarce healthcare resources.
The letter highlights the impracticality of the mandate for Colorado, where 90 percent of nursing homes are unable to meet the proposed staffing criteria due to a lack of qualified personnel. This issue is particularly pressing for Mesa County, home to nursing facilities serving a broad Western Colorado segment, including La Villa Grande Care Center, Eagle Ridge Post Acute Care, and several others in Grand Junction and Palisade.
Commissioners warn that the "one-size-fits-all" approach could force nursing homes to limit admissions or, in extreme cases, shut down, further limiting access to care. They advocate for substantial funding and supportive programs to aid nursing homes in recruiting and retaining a robust workforce rather than imposing unfeasible mandates.
They urge Colorado's federal representatives to reconsider the policy and support initiatives that bolster the caregiving workforce, ensuring the well-being and care of seniors now and in the future.
