nursing homes

Deputy Executive Director Bob Asztalos of the Florida Department of Veterans Affairs told a Senate committee that wages are finally competitive, thanks to a $5.6 million boost in state funding last year.

Under the new law, CNAs must provide a daily average of at least two hours of direct care to each resident. That’s 30 minutes less than the old rule, but the AARP points out it amounts to a 20 percent reduction in time residents will spend with the people who take care of their basic daily needs like eating and bathing.

Gov. Ron DeSantis on Wednesday signed 42 bills, including a heavily debated measure that will change staffing standards in nursing homes. The nursing-home industry lobbied for the measure.

Gov. Ron DeSantis signed into law Wednesday a measure intended to ensure patients and residents of hospitals, nursing homes and other health-care facilities can have contact with visitors.

Opponents of a bill that would change nursing home staffing standards are ratcheting up efforts to convince Gov. Ron DeSantis to veto it.

Senate Bill 804 and House Bill 1239 would reduce the required daily hours for certified nursing assistants by 20%.

The amended version of the bill reduces -- but does not eliminate -- the care that residents must get from certified nursing assistants. Those nursing hours would drop from 2 1/2 to 2 hours a day.

As the delta variant of the coronavirus caused Florida to become a hotspot for COVID-19 in late July and August, the state’s nursing homes felt the brunt. Using federal data, the senior-advocacy group AARP released a report Wednesday.

Gov. Ron DeSantis’ administration wants to make it easier for residents of long-term care facilities to reunite with families for the holidays --- even it means forgoing COVID-19 testing.

Tallahassee Community College has announced a partnership with Miracle Hill Nursing and Rehabilitation Center for a week of service. TCC students are asked to write letters, send a greeting card, or draw a picture for a senior resident at Miracle Hill by this Thursday at 4 p.m.