Nursing homes have a staff turnover crisis – even before COVID-19

Listen to Alan Weil interview David Grabowski, a professor of health care policy at Harvard Medical School, on nursing home staff turnover and its implications for quality of care.

Show Notes

Nursing homes are challenging places to work. As David Grabowski, a professor of health care policy at Harvard Medical School, notes in today's episode of A Health Podyssey, "we knew the nursing home system was broken before the COVID-19 pandemic."

Grabowski recently co-authored two papers in the March 2021 edition of Health Affairs on the topic of nursing home staffing using a new Medicare data set (Payroll Based Journal) that spanned 2017-2019 and is a game changer for measuring quality. One article noted that Medicare's new patient-driven payment model resulted in reductions in therapy staffing in skilled nursing facilities. A second found that mean annual nursing staff turnover rate was an eye-popping 128 percent. 

Post-pandemic, the implications of a nursing home's high staffing turnover rate is clear: it could lead to health and safety risks for residents.

David Grabowski joins Health Affairs Editor-in-Chief Alan Weil on today's episode to discuss his research, its implications, and why nursing home staff relationships with residents matter. He also delves into the complex ownership structures and the need for greater transparency and accountability in nursing homes.

 Subscribe: RSS | Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Stitcher | Google Podcasts

FROM OUR ADVERTISER: Our UnitedHealthcare Community & State newsletter is your go-to source for the latest Medicaid news and UnitedHealthcare programs serving Medicaid beneficiaries.

Subscribe now by visiting our website at UHCCS.com/Newsletter. 

Stay in the know by gaining access to our latest blogs, educational videos and upcoming events.

What is A Health Podyssey?

Each week, Health Affairs Editor-in-Chief Alan Weil brings you in-depth conversations with leading researchers and influencers shaping the big ideas in health policy and the health care industry.

A Health Podyssey goes beyond the pages of the health policy journal Health Affairs to tell stories behind the research and share policy implications. Learn how academics and economists frame their research questions and journey to the intersection of health, health care, and policy. Health policy nerds rejoice! This podcast is for you.