Discover How You Can Find Out Who Is Caring For Your Loved One In A Kingston, New York Nursing Home: Unlicensed Workers, LPN’s, Certified Nurses Aides Or Registered Nurses.

Want to get the scoop about the people caring for your family member at a nursing home? Now, under a new law in New York, you can.

On March 15, 2010, a new law known as the Nursing Care Quality Act (Public Health Law section 2805-t) went into effect in New York that requires nursing homes, hospitals, hospices and diagnostic and treatment centers to make nurse-to-patient ratios available to the public.

You now have the right to know how nursing homes and hospitals are staffing their units. The law requires nursing homes and hospitals to report the number of registered nurses and licensed practical nurses (LPNs) providing direct care, the ratio of full-time nurses to patients, the number of unlicensed workers providing direct care, and information on complaints filed against the nursing home and its staffing policies.

One small caveat: this information is not publicized by the state. The law requires nursing homes and hospitals to make the information available to any member of the public who requests it and to any state agency that supervises health facilities. The public can access the data by contacting the nursing homes and hospitals.

The federal government also publishes information about nurse-to-patient ratios at nursing homes.

Another option is to call the nursing supervisor at the nursing home to inquire about the nurse-to-patient ratios.

You want to find out who is caring for your loved one in a nursing home. Are they unlicensed workers, LPNs, certified nurses aides or registered nurses? The answer will tell you whether the nursing home is cutting corners on its staff to lower costs and maximize profits.