CONTRACTS
NYS Ushers in Strongest Safe Staffing Laws in the Land Nursing home members stand ready to enforce them.
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November/December 2021
The New Year ushers in a new era for nursing homes in New York State, as groundbreaking laws that 1199ers lobbied hard for last April finally come into force. The long-overdue legislation—which takes effect on January 1—is the strongest in the country, and it will require owners to devote significantly more money to staffing. “These new regulations mean I will be able to spend more quality time with my residents,” says Beverly Miller, a CNA at Rosewood Rehabilitation and Nursing Center in Rensselaer, NY, outside of Albany. “I have between 12 and 15 people I’m looking after at the moment. Right now, I can only give them a quick wash, get them up and get them dressed. There is no way I have the time to give them the care they deserve.” “America is supposed to be the greatest country, but the way we treat our elderly in nursing homes. . .we need to do better,” adds Miller. Passed by the New York State legislature in April, the new laws
