Senate Approves Nursing Home Minimum Staffing Bill

PROVIDENCE, RI — The Rhode Island Senate approved a bill that would require minimum staffing requirements at the state's nursing homes. Sponsored by Senate Majority Whip Maryellen Goodwin, the legislation would create a standard of 4.1 hours of direct care per patient, per day.

Advocates and nursing home employees have loudly called for the standard to be put in place, holding an informational picket outside several facilities Thursday and voting to strike at the end of the month if a settlement could not be reached in contract negotiations.

"There is a resident care crisis in our state," Sen. Goodwin said. "Staffing shortages and low wages leads to seniors and people with disabilities not receiving the care they desperately need. The pandemic, of course, has exponentially increased the demands of the job, and exacerbated patients' needs. We must confront this problem head-on before our nursing home system collapses."

The coronavirus pandemic has brought to the spotlight these issues, which have been present for years, the bill's proponents said. The 4.1 hour standard is the federal recommendation, and has been endorsed by the American Nurses Association, the Coalition of Geriatric Nursing Organizations, and the National Consumer Voice for Quality Long-Term Care. The bill, called the Nursing Home Staffing and Quality Care Act, is backed by Raise the Bar on Resident Care, a coalition of advocates for patient care. Rhode Island is 42 in the country when it comes to the average numbers of care patients receive each day, and is the only state in New England with no minimum staffing requirements.

The bill also ensures funding for pay increases for nursing home staff, which aims to reduce turnover in facilities.

The legislation now moves to the House of Representatives.