Letter to the editor: Value people more than profit | News, Sports, Jobs

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For residents of Kansas long-term care facilities, understaffing is too often a threat to health and well-being. I suspect that none of our Senators has ever been forced to go to bed without brushing their teeth, been allowed to bathe or shower only several times a week, or suffered a bed sore or a fall. My stays in several Missouri long-term care facilities over the past eight years have been relatively safe only because I was a vocal advocate and, in one case, was able to file a complaint with federal authorities from my bed. In each stay, it was clear that my care was compromised by understaffing.

Senators Roger Marshall and Jerry Moran’s decision to declare the new nursing facility staffing rules unnecessary appears to be a dereliction of duty to represent some of their most vulnerable constituents. Kansas Advocates for Better Care cites federal data showing that more than 25% of Kansas nursing facilities are classified as problem facilities.

Our elected officials should pay attention to evidence-based reports. Yes, staffing shortages are a problem, and yes, it will cost more to provide adequate care. I suggest that legislation to fund the training of certified nursing assistants and increase their wages would create a viable career path for these needed health care professionals and encourage more people to choose this vital profession. This would help alleviate the workforce shortages that LeadingAge Kansas has lamented.

Easy to achieve? No. Possible? Absolutely. But we have to put people before profit. That’s the catch.

Point Nary,

Lawrence