WHEREAS:

At the urging of Congress, the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) conducted a comprehensive study to determine whether the federal government should adopt minimum staffing standards in nursing homes to ensure that there are adequate numbers of nursing staff to care for patients; and

WHEREAS:

The results of the study, released in March 2002, found that more than 90 percent of nursing homes do not have enough nurses and nursing assistants to provide proper care for patients; and

WHEREAS:

The study further found that 40 percent of nursing homes would need to increase staffing levels by an astounding 50 percent or more in order to achieve a threshold of staff minimally necessary to provide proper care; and

WHEREAS:

AFSCME members who work in nursing homes are witnesses to the often tragic consequences of poor staffing; and

WHEREAS:

Despite the compelling conclusions of the CMS study that staffing levels in the vast majority of nursing homes lead to substandard care, the Bush Administration has rejected the call by geriatric experts, consumer advocates and labor unions including AFSCME for federal staffing standards.

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED:

That AFSCME work to advance legislation at the federal and state level to establish federal staffing standards that ensure that all nursing homes provide nurses and certified nursing assistants adequate to ensure proper care of nursing home patients.

SUBMITTED BY:

Danny Donohue, President and Delegate
Barbara Reeves, Secretary and Delegate
CSEA/AFSCME Local 1000
New York