AARP Virginia wants the 2023 General Assembly to set minimum staffing standards for nursing home resident care, as the state is one of only 12 with no minimum staffing level requirement.
Adding to poverty, lack of adequate housing and transportation, and food insecurity, the rural areas of Appalachia face problems with access to adequate and appropriate health care. Efforts to combat those issues were highlighted recently in the continuing series—Livable Appalachia—hosted by AARP Virginia, AARP North Carolina, and AARP Tennessee.
Despite the General Assembly’s rejection this year of efforts to set minimum staffing requirements in nursing homes, state Sen. George Barker said such efforts may finally succeed next year.