Guest Author
AARP Florida’s recent report, “Hospitalizations of Florida’s Nursing Home Residents,” fails to capture the ongoing and successful efforts of Florida’s care centers in enhancing quality care despite facing historic workforce challenges.
It is crucial to recognize the positive trends in Florida’s nursing centers where we outperform national averages in short-stay and long-stay emergency department visits. There is certainly room for improvement in long-stay hospitalizations.
However, it is essential to understand the broader context and the proactive measures taken by the Florida Health Care Association (FHCA), our member nursing centers, and the state legislature.
The trends in short and long-stay hospitalizations track with what’s happening nationwide, and many of these trends continue to show Florida outpacing the nation in quality care. Despite what AARP implies, the changes occurring are not the result of policy changes in Florida but rather are influenced by the post-COVID workforce environment affecting nursing centers everywhere.
The reliance on contract labor due to staffing shortages and the presence of agency staff unfamiliar with residents’ needs may contribute to unnecessary hospital transfers. Factors such as nurse training, employee turnover, and the litigation climate in Florida may also impact readmission rates.
Our members are proactively addressing these challenges by focusing on communication and collaboration between nursing centers and hospitals. The goal is to strengthen dialogue among clinical personnel, share information, and improve transitions between care settings to reduce readmissions.
Simultaneously, efforts are underway to explore solutions to build a sustainable caregiver pipeline that will continue to enhance overall quality care.
The Florida Legislature has also taken steps to address long-stay hospitalizations by incorporating this measure into the Medicaid quality incentive program during the 2023 Legislative Session.
This incentivizes nursing centers to reduce re-hospitalizations, aligning with the Medicaid Prospective Payment System to reward positive changes in quality outcomes for residents.
Rather than producing alarmist reports and reaching premature conclusions, AARP could contribute more meaningfully by offering real-world solutions.
Initiatives encouraging individuals to pursue careers in long-term care would help alleviate workforce shortages. By fostering a collaborative approach, we can collectively work toward enhancing the quality of care provided in nursing centers.
Understanding the complexities of the post-COVID workforce environment is crucial before making sweeping judgments. FHCA and its members remain committed to continuous improvement, and constructive dialogue, collaboration, meaningful investments, and initiatives to address workforce shortages that will pave the way for a resilient and high-quality long-term care system in Florida.
___
Emmett Reed is the Chief Executive Officer of the Florida Health Care Association, Florida’s first and largest advocacy organization for long-term care providers and the residents entrusted to their care. He can be reached at [email protected].
