New report details ongoing staffing shortages in Iowa nursing homes

New report details ongoing staffing shortages in Iowa nursing homes
Iowa Capital Dispatch; by Clark Kauffman; 6/5/25
The latest analysis of federal data on nursing home staffing shows the overwhelming majority of nursing homes in Iowa and the United States are operating with less than the recommended staff to meet residents’ needs. With regard to their total nursing staff, eight of Iowa’s 410 nursing homes were staffed at least 40% below the level that was expected, based on residents’ acuity levels, during the fourth quarter of 2024. That marks a slight improvement from the 11 homes that fell into that category during the third quarter of the year. The data also shows that among the 50 states, Iowa continues to rank in the middle of the pack, with staffing levels that average roughly 20% below expectations.
Guest Editor Mark Cohen: The Iowa Capital Dispatch continued its years-long reporting on the deficiencies in Iowa nursing homes by digging into the latest federal data and reporting that the overwhelming majority of nursing homes in Iowa and the United States are operating with less than the recommended staff to meet residents’ needs. See related article Senior living and care leads healthcare bankruptcies again in first quarter.