June 13, 2022 Washington, DC — LeadingAge, the association of nonprofit providers of aging services including nursing homes, welcomes the introduction of the Ensuring Seniors’ Access to Quality Care Act, by Senators Mark R. Warner (D-VA) and Tim Scott (R-SC). 

“Our nation’s long-term care system is facing a dire workforce shortage that has only intensified in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Katie Smith Sloan, president and CEO, LeadingAge. “CNAs provide essential care in nursing homes nationwide, and we need strong training programs to ensure older adults can access much-needed 24/7 care. Without workers, there is no care, which is why every possible lever to build the direct care workforce must be pulled. We applaud Senator Warner and Senator Scott for championing this legislation to address the nurse aide training lockout. We pledge to work with them to get this bill passed.” 

The nation will need to fill 8.2 million direct care jobs in the long-term care sector between 2018 and 2028 as existing workers leave the field or exit the labor force altogether, according to researchers at PHI.  Nursing homes across the country have been forced to limit admissions of new short- and long-term residents—or to close entirely—because there are not enough direct caregiving professionals to provide quality care. As the share of the population of adults 65+ is expected to grow by 2040, federal and state policymakers must take action.  

Under current federal law, nursing homes that are surveyed and fined a civil monetary penalty above a certain level automatically lose their authority to train certified nursing assistants (CNA) for a full two years. This two-year training “lockout” applies even if the fines are unrelated to the quality of care provided to residents. Today’s bill would allow nursing homes to reinstate their training programs provided any relevant deficiencies cited in the survey are corrected; that the deficiencies did not result in immediate risk to resident safety or arise as a result of resident harm from abuse or neglect; and the nursing home has not received a repeat deficiency related to resident harm in the past two years. 

“A ‘CNA Training Lockout’ runs counter to a nursing home’s ability to provide the highest quality of care that their residents rightly deserve, and we appreciate this action by Senators Mark Warner and Tim Scott to enable training of CNAs and enables our dedicated professional caregivers to care for older Virginians adequately and properly,” said Melissa Andrews, president and CEO of LeadingAge Virginia.

“Now, more than ever, the senior living care field depends on trained professional caregivers like CNAs to help deliver high-quality services and supports to our residents,” notes Joan Thomas, chief operating officer at Birmingham Green, Manassas, VA, and a member of the LeadingAge Virginia Board of Directors. “We know our residents thrive when they have the support and care of a well-trained staff, and we appreciate this legislation that allows us to give our CNAs the best tools and training they need to do their jobs.”

Adds David Buckshorn, chairperson, LeadingAge South Carolina and CEO, Wesley Commons: “As a South Carolinian and also a provider in the not-for-profit elder care field, I remain grateful and proud of Tim Scott’s continued vision for and dedication to our quest for continual improvement for our citizens of all ages. Likewise, the bipartisan work of Senators Warner and Scott highlights a common desire to cultivate the best of the best in communities across the country to better serve our elderly. By empowering providers, not only with better screening tools, but also by removing the barriers addressed in the bill, this will allow us to elevate our community’s most compassionate citizens….at the local level. In this time of great economic and employment pain, these actions will better equip providers to train qualified caregivers in quality care settings, while also increasing the overall labor pool of qualified caregivers…..a win/win for all.”

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.