Senior Care Policy Brief: Care Compare Gets a Makeover

• A federal judge in Iowa struck down two major components of the Biden administration’s nursing home staffing mandate: the requirement for a registered nurse (RN) to be on-site 24/7 and the minimum staffing standard of 3.5 hours per resident per day. This decision follows a similar ruling by a federal court in Texas in April.
  • Irrespective of the fate of this standard, federal law mandates that nursing homes have sufficient staff to meet the needs of their residents, as determined by comprehensive assessments, 24/7/365. To see the staffing levels of the nursing homes in your community, visit nursinghome411.org/data/staffing/.
• The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced significant updates to its Care Compare website, which the public uses to review and compare nursing home quality and safety.
  • Only the two most recent health inspection results will be considered in 5-star rating calculations. Historically, ratings have included the last three cycles. This change was made to address concerns that widespread delays in inspection timeframes rendered the third cycle out of date. [Effective 6/30/25.]
  • CMS will provide average five-star ratings for nursing home chains directly on Care Compare to improve the public’s ability to evaluate chain performance. [Effective 6/30/25.]
  • CMS will update how it calculates long-stay antipsychotic medication use by incorporating additional data sources to improve accuracy. CMS is making this change to address concerns about inaccuracies in the self-reported drugging data currently used in this calculation. [Effective 10/29/25.]
  • COVID-19 vaccination metrics for residents and staff will no longer appear on Care Compare. [Effective July 30, 2025.]

• A groundbreaking bill introduced in Minnesota, HF3344, would create a Long-Term Care Bill of Rights for LGBTQIA2S+ individuals and those with HIV, banning discrimination in senior living and home-based care. It ensures respect for chosen names, pronouns, and visitation rights, requires staff training, and offers civil remedies. Advocates call it a potential national model for inclusive care, according to McKnight’s.

• A recent study published in JAMA Psychiatry examined what happens when older adults (65+) stop taking antipsychotic medications (APs) prescribed during hospitalization for delirium. Findings indicate that “discontinuation was associated with reduced risks of all-cause rehospitalization and mortality.”
  • The study supports efforts to minimize antipsychotic exposure after discharge and suggests monitoring patients closely during transitions in care.

June is Elder Abuse Awareness Month. Despite federal protections, abuse, neglect, and exploitation remain widespread and underreported. In this issue of the Elder Justice Newsletter, we highlight facilities cited for violations including physical and emotional abuse, failure to prevent harm, and inadequate supervision of vulnerable residents.