Ombudsman urges lawmakers to tie funding to staffing and quality, tighten oversight during closures
Iowa’s long-term care system remains under mounting pressure from workforce shortages, high turnover and a wave of facility closures that have left vulnerable residents traumatized and at risk, according to a new report from the Iowa Office of the State Long-Term Care Ombudsman.
The office’s Federal Fiscal Year 2024 annual report, delivered to Gov. Kim Reynolds and state lawmakers late last month, documents persistent staffing instability, growing reliance on temporary agency workers and a sharp uptick in nursing home and assisted-living closures that the ombudsman says demand stronger oversight and clearer accountability for facility owners…