§ 19a-563h — Nursing homes. Minimum staffing level requirements. Regulations.

(a) As used in this section, “direct care” means hands-on care provided by a registered nurse, licensed pursuant to chapter 378, licensed practical nurse, licensed pursuant to chapter 378, or a nurse's aide, registered pursuant to chapter 378a, to residents of nursing homes, as defined in section 19a-563, including, but not limited to, assistance with feeding, bathing, toileting, dressing, lifting and moving, administering medication, promoting socialization and personal care services, but does not include food preparation, housekeeping, laundry services, maintenance of the physical environment of the nursing home or performance of administrative tasks. (b) On or before January 1, 2022, the Department of Public Health shall (1) establish minimum staffing level requirements for nursing homes of three hours of direct care per resident per day, and (2) modify staffing level requirements for social work and recreational staff of nursing homes such that the requirements (A) for social work, a number of hours that is based on one full-time social worker per sixty residents and that shall vary proportionally based on the number of residents in the nursing home, and (B) for recreational staff are lower than the current requirements, as deemed appropriate by the Commissioner of Public Health. (c) The commissioner shall adopt regulations in accordance with the provisions of chapter 54 that set forth nursing home staffing level requirements to implement the provisions of this section. The Commissioner of Public Health may implement policies and procedures necessary to administer the provisions of this section while in the process of adopting such policies and procedures as regulations, provided notice of intent to adopt regulations is published on the eRegulations System not later than twenty days after the date of implementation. Policies and procedures implemented pursuant to this section shall be valid until the time final regulations are adopted.

Legislative History

(P.A. 21-185, S. 10; P.A. 22-58, S. 36; P.A. 24-19, S. 31.) History: P.A. 22-58 amended Subsec. (a) by adding provision re proportional staffing of full-time social workers and making conforming changes and amended Subsec. (b) by adding provision re commissioner's authority to implement policies and procedures while in the process of adopting regulations, effective May 23, 2022; P.A. 24-19 added new Subsec. (a) defining “direct care” and redesignated existing Subsecs. (a) and (b), as Subsecs. (b) and (c), effective May 21, 2024.