The Operator's Exchange - Where The Industry Talks Back

"Stop Blaming Everything on Staffing"

ANONYMOUS FROM OHIO WRITES:

"Everyone keeps saying our problems are all about staffing shortages, but that's not the whole story. I've got facilities with full staff that are still struggling because reimbursement rates haven't kept up with reality. You can have all the nurses in the world, but if Medicaid pays you $180/day and it costs $220/day to actually provide care, the math doesn't work. Yes, we need more staff. But we also need politicians to stop pretending that throwing more bodies at an underfunded system will magically fix everything. Some of us remember when facilities could actually make money providing good care."

"Family Meeting Reality Check"

VETERAN ADMINISTRATOR IN PENNSYLVANIA WRITES:

"Families are getting more demanding and less realistic every year. Had a daughter yesterday insist we provide 'hotel-level service' for her mother's $187/day Medicaid rate. I wanted to ask her what hotel she knows that provides 24/7 nursing care, medication management, and three meals a day for $187. Meanwhile, she's complaining we don't have enough activities while voting against every tax increase that would fund better Medicaid rates. You can't have champagne service on beer money, but try explaining that to someone who thinks nursing homes are swimming in cash."