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As of April 2024, federal regulations mandate a minimum of 3.48 hours of direct nursing care per resident per day, setting a new baseline for the question of how many staff per patient in a nursing home are required by law.
According to a May 2024 analysis by KFF, only 19% of nursing facilities currently meet the full set of new federal staffing minimums. The answer to "How many staff should be in a nursing home?" involves a complex set of factors, including new federal regulations and varying state laws, all aimed at ensuring resident safety and quality of care.
In April 2024, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) established a new federal minimum standard for nursing homes, requiring 2.45 hours of care per resident per day (HPRD) from a nurse aide. This provides a concrete baseline for facilities receiving federal funding and helps answer the question, "What is the legal ratio of CNA to residents?" as it relates to hourly care, not just headcounts.
