Nursing Homes

An inspections backlog grew in Missouri during the COVID-19 pandemic, exacerbated more recently by staffing shortages and a spike in complaints that have tapped available resources

Missouri lost 6,000 workers across nursing and residential care facilities during the coronavirus pandemic, and the state ranks 51st in hours of care nursing home residents receive from nurses. Experts and advocates say inadequate staffing endangers residents.

The Missouri legislature has voted to allow nursing home residents and hospital patients to have two designated caregivers who can provide physical and mental support for the patient.

Under the bill, facilities can still limit things like visitor movements and the number of visitors per patient, but cannot require patients be vaccinated against any disease to receive treatment or visitors. Experts warn it could cause a conflict between state and federal requirements.

Health care facilities have until March 15 to get their staffs fully vaccinated. This is a challenge in Missouri which has the lowest vaccination rates among health care workers.

It was common knowledge in the nursing home business, but perhaps not to the families trusting those facilities with a loved one’s care.

Unions representing health care workers, including those who work in nursing homes, support a new federal rule that requires their members to get the COVID-19 vaccine.

A federal mandate will soon require all U.S. nursing homes to vaccinate their workers or risk losing government funding. But some worry vaccine mandates will worsen staff shortages.

Advocates for nursing home residents and union representatives say President Joe Biden's order that nursing homes require employees to get the COVID-19 vaccine will help keep the coronavirus from spreading.

This spring, Missouri nursing homes reported COVID cases in the teens and 20s each week. In the last week of July, the virus was confirmed among 123 residents.