Staffing shortages in nursing homes disproportionately affect older adults who belong to racial and ethnic minoritized groups and economically disadvantaged populations, according to a new policy brief from the LeadingAge LTSS Center @UMass Boston. Neighborhood Deprivation and Nursing Home Staffing: Lessons for Policy and Practice explores how these disparities might be influenced by the socioeconomic factors in neighborhoods where nursing homes are located.

Researchers found that nursing homes in severely deprived areas are more likely than other nursing homes to serve a high proportion of Black residents, be located in rural areas, be staffed for fewer hours by clinical workers like registered nurses (RN), and substitute care traditionally provided by RNs with care provided by staff with less training. The brief recommends actions that policymakers and nursing homes can take to improve and stabilize staffing in these nursing homes.

Read more about the study on the LTSS Center website.