nursing homes

A coalition of nursing homes says, if the state doesn’t increase its Medicaid reimbursement rates, the eldercare facilities may have to reduce the number of beds — or even shut down all together.

Advocates for nursing home workers say the state health department is trying to undermine a law meant to establish minimum staffing requirements by getting rid of a $300 a day penalty for nursing home operators who violate the rules.

A union that represents tens of thousands of nursing home workers is shining a light on staffing shortages across New York state, and members are calling for action.

Gov. Kathy Hochul says an examination by independent experts of the state's COVID-19 policies will include a look at deaths in nursing homes.

Gov. Kathy Hochul has until the end of the day Thursday to decide whether to lift a pause on a law that requires nursing homes to greatly increase staffing.

State lawmakers passed two significant reforms to nursing home operations last summer. Enforcement was set to begin this January, but the laws remain on an extended hold.

New York State Comptroller Tom DiNapoli released an audit Tuesday night that finds the state Department of Health understated the number of nursing homes from COVID by 4,100, and by more than 50 percent at some points during the pandemic.

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul promised more government transparency on her first day in office and by day’s end her administration had quietly delivered it by acknowledging nearly 12,000 more deaths in the state from COVID-19 than had been publicized by her predecessor, Andrew Cuomo.

Sexual harassment allegations cost New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo his job. Now, many want to see him answer for a scandal that cut to the heart of his reputation as a pandemic hero and may have had life-and-death consequences — his administration’s handling of outbreaks in nursing homes.

Staff at New York’s nursing homes aren’t paid enough to compete with entry-level positions in other industries, which health care groups told the state Legislature Tuesday has led to average turnover rates in recent years as high as 94%.