Letters to the Editor

The Biden administration has now announced it will impose a federal staffing mandate on skilled nursing homes across the nation – a policy that would have far-reaching, negative consequences for Georgia’s seniors and their families.

As the owner of assisted living communities that are not affected by these mandates, I can speak objectively to the unintended consequences this policy change would cause because my businesses are competing for the same direct caregiver workforce that’s in low supply. Georgia hospitals estimate that they currently need an additional 28,000 licensed nurses, a shortage that will become exponentially worse over the next decade. Additionally, nearly 200,000 fewer direct caregivers are working in the nursing home profession nationwide today compared to February 2020.

With Georgia’s senior population rapidly growing, the demand for these services will increase, and policymakers must focus on expanding the pipeline of healthcare workers. In the meantime, we must deal with reality. A federal staffing mandate that requires more employees than are available simply means that more nursing homes will have to limit admissions or close wings of their facilities if they can’t increase staffing levels to be in compliance. In many rural areas, where access is already difficult, nursing homes could shut down completely, forcing seniors to leave their communities and live farther away from loved ones.

If this federal overreach is allowed to move forward, these regulations will consume resources that could otherwise go toward investing in retention and recruitment of existing and future staffers or in technology that could enhance safety and the quality of life for residents. On behalf of Georgia’s seniors, I ask Sens. Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock and the rest of our congressional delegation to speak out against this unfunded mandate.

John LaHood, Valdosta