Elections have consequences for residents of Iowa nursing homes

Our Attorney General's latest untoward political foray is her leading role in a lawsuit attacking the Biden Administration's nursing home minimum staffing standards rule. Joined by other Republican Attorneys General and the nursing home industry itself, Iowa Atty. General Bird, like Gov. Reynolds, puts industry interests ahead of Iowa's seniors and disabled residents living in over 400 of our State's nursing homes.

Perhaps Attorney General Brenna Bird should, instead, use her office to assure timely collection of over $10 Million in taxpayer money that homes owe to Iowans, and to assure additional homes aren't also legally obligated to repayment.

Or, Bird could investigate why Iowa taxpayers are funding the nursing home industry associations to the tune of millions, groups whose foundation is against the interests of residents, and twofold: more taxpayer money and less government oversight. Certainly, our Chief Law Enforcement Officer, wasn't elected to travel to New York and attack/demean/diminish and erode confidence in the judicial system she, as an attorney, is ethically obliged to support. I could list a host of Bird's official actions that have little to nothing to do with promoting the interests of Iowans, actions that voters didn't ask or expect her to pursue. However, I'll leave that for another day.

Bird's 66-page lawsuit parrots the nursing home industry's scare tactics, and ignores the largely for-profit owners, operators, and private equity interests robbing residents of care and reaping billions in taxpayer dollars. Despite Iowa's nursing homes being among the worst in staffing violations, Bird and Gov. Kim Reynolds are willfully ignoring avoidable harm and deaths known to be commonplace.

Congressional Republicans have initiated similar efforts, legislatively, to effectively eliminate any minimum staffing requirements now, and forever. All of these industry inspired efforts are occurring despite the fact that research studies from over two decades ago found that staffing levels higher than those required by the Biden rule were necessary for proper caregiving, even back then. Sens. Warren, Sanders, Blumenthal and Rep. Schakowsky wrote a Sept. 13, 2024 letter to the CEO's of three of the largest, publicly-owned, for-profit nursing home companies, a letter that provides insight into the shamefulness of Bird's lawsuit. I recommend it to her, to Gov. Reynolds, and to all Iowans.

Our next election is just around the corner. "Who cares about Iowa's nursing home residents" would be a great question to answer before casting your votes now, and in the future.

Dean Learner is former director of the Iowa Department of Inspections and Appeals, former Iowa Assistant Attorney General and former chief deputy Secretary of State. Learner is also a former Consultant to the CMS Director of the Division of Nursing Homes, a former board member of the National Consumer Voice for Quality Long-Term Care, and is a decades long advocate for Iowa's nursing home resident health, safety, and welfare.