McKnight's Long-Term Care News Newsmakers Podcast with Brendan Williams

The long-term care sector faces a critical human capital crisis characterized by a severe shortage of licensed nursing assistants and registered nurses that predates the pandemic. Brendan Williams, President and CEO of the New Hampshire Health Care Association, highlights how facilities are forced to pay "ransom" prices to predatory staffing agencies, with rates for nursing assistants reaching $69 per hour and registered nurses commanding even higher bids. This shortage has created significant operational bottlenecks, including a 100-person waiting list at one county-owned facility and the inability of nursing homes to accept Medicare discharges, which subsequently backs up hospital systems. While some states attempt local regulation, a federal-level appeal to the Federal Trade Commission regarding price gouging and anti-competitive practices offers a more viable national solution than challenging vaccine mandates. Maintaining existing staff remains the primary challenge as exhausted healthcare heroes are frequently lured away by the higher wages offered by these external agencies.