Under new regulations, Pennsylvania nursing homes will have to devote at least 70% of their expenditures to patient care, as opposed to things like rent and management fees.
Pennsylvania’s Independent Regulatory Review Commission on Friday approved the first major revamp of the state’s nursing-home regulationsMore direct patient carefor the state’s nearly 700 nursing homes. The facilities will be required to provide 2.87 hours per day of direct care per patient starting in July and then 3.2 hours per day starting in July 2024. The current requirement is 2.7 hours.
“Adequate staffing means the difference between a resident receiving assistance walking to and using the bathroom rather than falling trying to ambulate by themselves or being left lying in their own waste for long periods,” Pamela Walz, a supervising attorney at CSL, wrote.The new regulations also limit the number of patients nursing assistants can be expected to care for.
Under new rules, which take effect next October, the health department will post notices of ownership changes on its website and provide the public 10 days to comment. The department will also post notices of approvals or denials.