Nursing homes
CMS and all 50 states put more than $275 million toward getting nurses into short-staffed nursing homes
Nurses who commit to three years at a rural or hard-to-staff nursing home can get up to $40,000 toward student loans and a $10,000 stipend. For families, the goal is more nurses at the bedside.
Key facts
- CMS and all states are putting more than $275 million into nursing home staffing.
- Nurses can get up to $40,000 in loan repayment plus a $10,000 stipend for three years of service.
- Rural and high-shortage nursing homes are the focus.
What happened
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) on October 23 announced the launch of Nurses for Nursing Homes, a recruiting program built with every state and the District of Columbia. CMS says the partners are putting more than $275 million toward raising nursing home staffing.
Registered nurses and licensed practical or vocational nurses can get up to $40,000 in student loan repayment and up to a $10,000 stipend. In return they must work an average of at least 30 hours a week for three years at a qualifying nursing home or at a state agency that inspects nursing homes. New graduates and nurses already working are both eligible, and the stipend does not require student debt.
CMS is focusing on nursing homes in rural areas and places with the worst nurse shortages, and it has published a list of qualifying facilities. Two workforce partners, the National League for Nursing and the Colorado Center for Nursing Excellence, will help match nurses with openings. Nurses can sign up at nursesfornursinghomes.cms.gov.
What it means for families
Staffing is the complaint residents and families raise most often, and it shapes everything from how fast a call light is answered to whether someone notices a fever early. The program will take time to show up on the floor, but it gives short-staffed homes a new way to hire and keep nurses.
When you tour or review a nursing home, ask how many RNs and LPNs work each shift and whether the home is taking part. Federal staffing data on Medicare Care Compare also shows how a home's nurse hours compare with others.
What this means in New York: Check whether a home you are considering is on CMS's qualifying list, and look up its staffing star rating on Medicare Care Compare. Concerns about care can go to the New York State Department of Health complaint line at 1-888-201-4563.
What to do this week
- Look up the nursing home's staffing rating on Medicare Care Compare.
- Ask the administrator how many nurses work days, evenings and nights.
- If a nurse in your family is job hunting, share nursesfornursinghomes.cms.gov.
Sources
More from Nursing homes
- Senate Democrats' report calls for nursing home ownership transparency and stronger oversight
- Nursing homes have cut use of agency staff by 44% since 2022, research firm says
- Medicare confirms daily therapy alone can qualify a nursing facility stay