ElderWeb

Connecticut's Legislative Program Review and Investigations Committee has recommended that minimum nursing hours required in nursing homes be raised from 1.9 to 2.75 hours per patient per day. They estimate that this increase will cost about $13.7 million for residents covered by Medicaid, half of which would be paid by the state and half by the federal government. The committee noted that many nursing homes are having trouble finding and retaining staff, which may make it difficult for facilities to reach these staffing levels. To counter this problem, they suggest a two year phase in period to allow facilities time to find ways to deal with the staffing problems. The Connecticut Department of Labor provided information used by the committee to conclude that the turnover rate among staff in Connecticut nursing homes was 43% in 1998 and 46% in 1999, but concluded that these high turnover rates would be reduced by raising the minimum ratios in nursing facilities to reduce job burnout by making the work environment less stressful. SB 1173, which would mandate the increase in the minimum staffing hours, has been raised and referred to the Joint Committee on the Program Review and Investigations Committee.