President Donald Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill is throwing the future of care for more than 1 million nursing home patients into uncertainty, according to experts in eldercare in the U.S.
In addition to slashing Medicaid, which covers the cost of long-term care for indigent seniors, the bill delays minimum staffing requirements at nursing homes, opening the way for a potentially steep drop in patient care across the board.
“The 3.48 hours is the absolute bare minimum needed to prevent falls and deaths and injuries in hospitalizations,” says Senior Attorney Gelila Selassie at Justice in Aging, a national organization that focuses on affordable healthcare advocacy for seniors.
The shortage of staff in nursing homes will force more family members who may lack the skills, knowledge, or time to take on caregiving roles—especially for patients with dementia who require around the clock care. He also is particularly concerned about seniors without any family to care for them.
Natalie Kean, director of federal health advocacy at Justice in Aging agreed. “[B]udget pressures are going to lead to a cut in access to home-based care for older adults,” she said.
