Ghost towns: Nursing home staffing falls amid pandemic

By MATT SEDENSKY
AP National Writer

SYRACUSE, N.Y. (AP) — Even before the pandemic bared the truth of a profit-driven nursing home industry with too few caring for society’s most vulnerable, thin staffing was a hallmark of facilities around the country. Now, an Associated Press analysis of federal data finds that staffing is even thinner, with about one-third of U.S. nursing homes reporting lower levels of nurses and aides than before COVID-19 began ravaging their facilities. The American Health Care Association, which lobbies for care facilities, says 99% of nursing homes and 96% of assisted living facilities are reporting staffing shortages. The organization called for additional federal funding, changes to Medicaid and government programs to bolster caregiver hiring and development.