By HFT Staff

President Joe Biden has announced plans to improve the quality of the nation’s nursing homes so all residents receive reliable, high-quality care. With the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the President's reforms aim to improve the safety and quality of nursing home care, hold nursing homes accountable for the care they provide and make the quality of care and facility ownership more transparent for potential residents and their families.  

The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the substandard conditions of nursing homes, many of which house the most at-risk community members. More than 1.4 million people live in over 15,500 Medicare and Medicaid-certified nursing homes. In the past two years, over 200,000 residents and staff in nursing homes have died because of COVID-19. Without action, these unacceptable conditions could get worse.  

The planned reforms include:  

• Ensuring every nursing home provides enough staff who are adequately trained to provide high-quality care 
• Ensuring poorly performing nursing homes are held accountable for improper and unsafe care and immediately improve their services or are cut off from federal funds 
• Giving the public better information about nursing home conditions so they can find the best available options.