Extra Edition: Dealing with the Nursing Home Crisis

At the beginning of the pandemic, nursing homes became the epicenter of Covid-19 deaths. This crisis had a disproportionate impact on facilities that serve predominantly Latinos and African Americans. Nursing home workers are feeling demoralized and burned out and thousands are quitting, impacting the quality of care for the elderly. In response, California lawmakers included in the current state budget a fund to establish minimum quality standards and an equity plan for nursing homes. The budget passed by the legislature is now on Gov. Newsom’s desk but the negotiations continue.