In nursing homes, staff are key. But is Biden's boost for the workforce realistic?

Earlier this spring the Biden administration announced a new standard on staffing levels for nursing homes. Employee turnover at nursing homes shot up during the pandemic, when more than 200,000 residents and staff died. The government says more staff translates to better care. Nursing homes agree. But they say mandates are the wrong way to go about it.

Registered nurse Vida Antwi has spent 20 years working at Gurwin Jewish Nursing & Rehabilitation Center in Commack, Long Island, and says she loves her job. Speaking to a resident who laments that she doesn’t have family around, Antwi says, “You got family here. We’re all your family. Don’t I tell you that?”

Gurwin is a nonprofit nursing home. It has art photography on the walls, plenty of natural light, a couple of rehabilitation gyms and regular events for residents. There’s a sunny courtyard where people can gather on nice days, and a large, colorful fish tank in one of the downstairs corridors. Staff are friendly and the place is clean.

In short, this is a nice facility. But even here the administration has had trouble keeping staff since the pandemic.

Antwi credits her employer with making a big effort to hire and train new nurses and nursing assistants coming out of COVID. Still, she says, “Even though we try to get people on board, some people come and they just leave. But I think you have to stand up and do the best you can.”

Antwi’s boss, Stu Almer, CEO of Gurwin Healthcare System, says turnover is now under 30% — quite an improvement over recent years: “Our turnover rate last year and the year before was much higher,” he says. Nationally, turnover is still above 50%.

The Gurwin facility is a member of LeadingAge, which represents nonprofit providers of aging