June 29, 2022 Washington DC – Following is a statement from Katie Smith Sloan, president and CEO of LeadingAge, the association of nonprofit providers of aging services, including nursing homes, regarding updated surveyor guidance from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS): 

“As we have emphasized since the Biden Administration rolled out its nursing home initiative months ago, access to quality nursing home care is a goal shared by older adults, families, policymakers, and providers. 

Yet at this time when the sector is finding its footing after years of COVID-induced financial stress and workforce challenges, continuing the additional pile-on of regulations will strain already-stretched providers. 

We all know that staffing goes hand-in-hand with quality care, and our mission-driven members are working valiantly to stay compliant. But we continue to urge the administration to back its words of commitment to ensuring older adults’ access to care with meaningful action and funding.”

We represent more than 5,000 nonprofit aging services providers and other mission-minded organizations that touch millions of lives every day. Alongside our members and 38 state partners, we use applied research, advocacy, education, and community-building to make America a better place to grow old. Our membership, which now includes the providers of the Visiting Nurse Associations of America, encompasses the continuum of services for people as they age, including those with disabilities. We bring together the most inventive minds in the field to lead and innovate solutions that support older adults wherever they call home. For more information visit leadingage.org.