Nursing Home Fined by New York State for Understaffing Nurses - Long Term Care News on CNA-TV
Channel: CNA TV - NAHCA Broadcasting Network
Date: 2020-02-05

Nursing Home Fined by New York State for Understaffing Nurses - Long Term Care News on CNA-TV

A persistently low-rated Buffalo nursing home has been fined $7,000 by the state after it was cited for failing to have sufficient staff on duty and other violations.

The state Health Department in November fined Safire Rehabilitation of Southtowns, a facility with about 110 residents, the maximum allowed because understaffing has been a recurring problem.

The Health Department cited 26 nursing homes in New York for insufficient staffing in 2019.

But the agency has come under pressure for allowing nursing homes to operate without enough nurses.

Last year, state lawmakers considered legislation backed by unions representing nursing home workers that would have set for the first-time minimum staffing levels for each of the state's more than 600 nursing homes. At present, nursing homes are required only to have “sufficient" staffing levels, with no specified ratios. The nursing home industry balked, saying the proposed law would cost it $1 billion.

Instead of voting on the safe staffing bill, the State Legislature directed the Health Department in 2019 to conduct a study on safe staffing. The Health Department was told to report its findings back to the Legislature by Dec. 31, but it has not done that.

Assemblyman Richard Gottfried (D-Manhattan) predicted the problem could become even worse with the state facing a $6.1 billion budget deficit and Gov. Andrew Cuomo making noise about the need to cut the state's rising Medicaid bill. Medicaid pays the bills for about 75% of New York's nursing home residents.